# Sign Regulations in Glenwood, Minnesota

Sign permit rules, size and height limits, setbacks, and ordinance citations for Glenwood, Minnesota, compiled by PermitPal from the jurisdiction's published municipal code.

- **Jurisdiction:** Glenwood, Minnesota (MN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/minnesota/glenwood
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-19

## At a glance

Glenwood, Minnesota regulates 19 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Temporary Garage/Moving Sale Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 4 ft tall, 16 ft², and 4 ft wide (Sec. § 153.068(E)(5)). Most commercial signs in Glenwood require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Light Industrial, Heavy Industrial | 2 | — | — | — |
| Commercial districts | 5 | 6 ft | 50% of window surface per window | — |
| Residential districts | 2 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 11 | 4 ft | 16 ft² | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Commercial districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dynamic Display Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per parcel/building | Permitted on walls and freestanding signs with City permit | — | § 153.068(M)(1), (M)(2)-(8) |
| Dynamic Display Freestanding Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per parcel/building | Freestanding sign allowed with permit | — | § 153.068(M)(1), (M)(5)-(6) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 6 ft | 12 ft² | 2 ft | — | — | Allowed on public sidewalks, not placed more than 1 foot from the building | — | § 153.068(K)(1)-(3) |
| Temporary Portable Sign (Other than Sandwich Board) | — | — | — | 10 ft from adjoining property lines (except Sandwich Board, see above) | — | Not allowed in public right-of-way; must be separated by minimum 20 feet from other temporary portable signs and setback 10 feet from property lines. | — | § 153.068(K)(1)-(7) |
| Permanent Window Sign | — | 50% of window surface per window | — | — | — | Inside surface of any window; except in residential zones | — | § 153.068(E)(3) |

### Residential districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dynamic Display Freestanding Sign (Conditionally permitted use, with variance) | — | — | — | — | 1 per parcel/building | Allowed only for conditionally permitted uses (such as institutions) with a variance | — | § 153.068(M)(1), (M)(5) |
| Area Identification Sign (Subdivision/Development Sign) | — | — | — | — | At each entrance with frontage | Not located within public right-of-way; allowed at each entrance for subdivisions or developments with multiple frontages | — | § 153.068(J) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directional/Informational Sign (On-Premise) | — | — | — | — | — | On-premise; for direction, safety, or convenience of the public | — | § 153.068(E)(2) |
| Copy/Face Change (Non-Dynamic Sign) | — | — | — | — | — | Existing signs | — | § 153.068(E)(1) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per property frontage | On-site or off-site | — | § 153.068(E)(4) |
| Temporary Garage/Moving Sale Sign | 4 ft | 16 ft² | 4 ft | — | 1 per property frontage | Not within public right-of-way | — | § 153.068(E)(5) |
| Community Promotion Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Allowed for non-profit/city events at any location, also on public right-of-way with approval | — | § 153.068(E)(7), (F)(8)(b) |
| Off-Premise Sponsorship Sign (County Fair Only) | — | — | — | — | — | Buildings/property owned by Pope County Ag. Society | — | § 153.068(E)(8) |
| Off-Premise Sponsorship Sign (Sports Fields) | — | — | — | — | — | Mounted on fence, backstop, and/or scoreboard of ball fields, facing playing field, within city boundaries | — | § 153.068(K)(8) |
| Area Identification Sign (Subdivision/Development Sign) | — | — | — | — | At each entrance with frontage | Not within public right-of-way; for subdivisions/developments/commercial/industrial/multifamily/condo developments; at each entrance with frontage | — | § 153.068(J) |

## Prohibited signs in Glenwood

- All signs hereafter created or maintained, except for official traffic and public street signs, must conform with the provisions of this section, other applicable city ordinances, and with the Minnesota Outdoor Advertising Control Act, M.S. § 173.01, as amended.
- The construction of all signs must conform to the Minnesota State Building Code and the current edition of the Uniform Sign Code published by the International Conference of Building Officials.
- All signs deemed abandoned must be removed and disposed of within the time frame specified by the City of Glenwood.
- No sign may, by reason of its location, color or intensity, create a hazard to the safe, efficient movement of vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
- No sign or sign structure shall be erected or maintained so as to prevent fire ingress or egress from any door, window, or fire escape; be attached to a standpipe, streetlight or fire escape; obstruct traffic flow or sight views; or constitute a traffic hazard.
- Signs which are structurally unsafe, in disrepair, obsolete or abandoned are prohibited.
- Any sign which purports to be or resembles an official public safety and/or traffic control device, sign, or signal; railroad sign or signal; or which hides from view or interferes with such devices, or obstructs/interferes with the driver's view of traffic beyond regulatory requirements, is prohibited.
- Any sign which contains statements, words, or pictures of an obscene, indecent, or immoral character, or which offend public morals or decency, is prohibited.
- Any sign on public utility poles (including but not limited to snipe signs, banners, flags, or plants) is prohibited without the consent of the public entity with jurisdiction, except as otherwise provided by law.
- Any sign on private land without the consent of the owner is prohibited.
- Off-premise advertising of products and/or services is prohibited, except as allowed under the specified exemption for businesses with common ownership or multiple locations.
- Signs with dynamic displays are prohibited except as specifically allowed (with exception of time, temperature or similar informational signs).
- Signs within the public right-of-ways or easements are prohibited, except as allowed for government, utilities, or specifically authorized community promotion or projecting signs at certain heights and distances.
- Roof signs are prohibited unless placed on a parapet or incorporated into the building or permanent structure to provide an overall finished appearance.
- Any sign not listed as permitted is prohibited without a permit and/or variance.
- Temporary, portable signs may not obstruct sight views, constitute a traffic or pedestrian hazard, or be located in the public right-of-way except as allowed for sandwich-type boards.
- No sign may be erected, placed, painted, or maintained except in conformance with the approved signage plan and permit/variance requirements.

## Signs exempt from permit in Glenwood

- Changing of copy on an existing non-dynamic sign does not require a permit, provided no other structural alterations are involved and all other requirements are met.
- On-premises directional/informational signs for the direction, safety, or convenience of the public, including restroom signs, parking entrances/exits, addresses, waste receptacles, public interest signs, no hunting/fishing signs, ownership, or private road notices; directional/informational sign may contain an on-premise logo provided it does not comprise more than 25% of the sign area.
- Permanent window signs (except in residential zones), provided not more than 50% of the window surface has signage and such signs are in addition to those otherwise permitted.
- Temporary on-site and off-site real estate signs pertaining to the sale or rental of real property, limited to one sign per property frontage, to be removed within 14 days of sale or rental closure.
- Temporary garage/moving sale signs limited to one per property frontage, not within the public right-of-way, for up to seven calendar days before and after the sale, and not exceeding four feet by four feet in size.
- Political and campaign signs may be placed without a permit in accordance with state law and relevant campaign regulations.
- Community promotion signs provided at no cost by a business or property owner to community organizations for nonprofit organization or city-sponsored/civic/community events, including fairs, holidays, festivals, news, and locations of community or tourist interest.
- Off-premises sponsorship signs/banners are allowed on buildings/property owned by the Pope County Ag. Society for county fair sponsors only, with temporary banners allowed during specific periods without a permit or as otherwise authorized.
- Off-premises advertising of products and/or services for businesses with at least 50% common ownership or multiple locations is permitted, provided no more than 25% of the advertising space is for off-site products/services, and the remaining unused portion of the sign is aesthetically appealing (excluding dynamic signs).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Any signs requiring a permit and/or variance require submission of a signage plan application, along with applicable fees.
- The signage plan application must contain specific information, including owner info, sign hanger, type of sign, scaled site plan, proposed and future sign locations, proposed content/use, scaled color drawings, computation of maximum sign area, specs for color, style, lighting, location, materials, sign proportions, signatures, and required external authorizations.
- After approval of the signage plan application, no sign shall be erected, placed, painted or maintained except in conformance with the approved signage plan and permit/variance requirements.
- Fees for signage plan applications, permits, and variances are set by the Glenwood City Commission per their annual fee schedule.
- For signs along a state trunk or county highway, proof of necessary authorization(s) from the appropriate jurisdiction(s) must be submitted with the application, when required or directed by the city.

## Full detail

This page publishes an overview of every zoning district plus a sample of 3 districts in full. Complete zone-by-zone requirements for all 4 zoning districts in Glenwood — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Glenwood+MN&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-glenwood

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