# Sign Regulations in Hinckley, Minnesota

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

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

## At a glance

Hinckley, Minnesota regulates 13 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C District zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and 6 sq ft (combined total per street frontage, with Wall Sign), with a Setback minimum 5 feet from property lines. Not within 30 feet of intersection. setback (Sec. § 153.06(A)(1)). Most commercial signs in Hinckley require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C District | 3 | 6 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| A District, P/SP District | 3 | 6 ft | 32 sq ft (combined total per street frontage, with Freestanding Sign) | — |
| CB District, GB District, RB District, I District, Central Business (CB), General Business (GB), Residential Business (RB), Industrial (I) | 9 | 100 ft | 250 sq ft (per sign) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | 6 ft | Covering max 50% of window area | — |

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

### R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 6 sq ft (combined total per street frontage, with Freestanding Sign) | — | Setback minimum 5 feet from property lines. Not within 30 feet of intersection. | 1 per public street frontage (either wall or freestanding, not both) | On façade of principal building | — | § 153.06(A)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft | 6 sq ft (combined total per street frontage, with Wall Sign) | — | Setback minimum 5 feet from property lines. Not within 30 feet of intersection. | 1 per public street frontage (either wall or freestanding, not both) | Freestanding, on lot | — | § 153.06(A)(1) |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft | 32 sq ft | — | Setback minimum 5 feet from property lines. Not within 30 feet of intersection. | — | — | — | § 153.06(A)(2) |

### A District, P/SP District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 32 sq ft (combined total per street frontage, with Freestanding Sign) | — | Setback minimum 5 feet from property lines. Not within 30 feet of intersection. | Total of wall and/or freestanding = 1 per public street frontage | On façade of principal building | — | § 153.06(B)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft | 32 sq ft (combined total per street frontage, with Wall Sign) | — | Setback minimum 5 feet from property lines. Not within 30 feet of intersection. | Total of wall and/or freestanding = 1 per public street frontage | Freestanding, on lot | — | § 153.06(B)(1) |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft | 32 sq ft | — | Setback minimum 5 feet from property lines. Not within 30 feet of intersection. | — | — | — | § 153.06(B)(2) |

### CB District, GB District, RB District, I District, Central Business (CB), General Business (GB), Residential Business (RB), Industrial (I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 30 ft | 200 sq ft per building elevation | — | — | No explicit maximum per site, but all wall signs included in combined area limits per site | Attached to or erected against exterior wall | — | § 153.06(C)(1) |
| Awning or Canopy Sign | — | Included in max sign area for the property (see total site area limits) | — | — | — | On awning or canopy attached to building | — | § 153.06(C)(2) |
| Freestanding Pylon Sign (Within 750 feet of I-35 centerline, GB or I zones) | 100 ft | 250 sq ft (per sign) | — | — | — | On lot, freestanding/pylon sign within 750 ft of I-35 centerline, in GB or I zones | — | § 153.06(C)(3), § 110.17(A) |
| Freestanding Pylon Sign (All other CB, GB and I areas) | 35 ft | 250 sq ft (per sign) | — | — | — | On lot, freestanding/pylon sign | — | § 153.06(C)(4), § 110.17(B) |
| Freestanding Ground Sign (RB not fronting Highways 23/48 or County 61) | 8 ft | 200 sq ft (per sign, including borders/trim) | — | — | — | On lot, RB District not fronting indicated highways | — | § 153.06(C)(5), § 110.17(C) |
| Freestanding Ground/Pylon Sign (RB fronting Highways 23/48 or County 61 and all other RB) | 35 ft | 200 sq ft (per sign, including borders/trim) | — | — | — | On lot, RB District fronting MN Hwy 23/48 or County 61 | — | § 153.06(C)(5), § 110.17(B) |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft | 32 sq ft | — | Setback minimum 5 feet from property lines. Not within 30 feet of intersection. | — | — | — | § 153.06(A)(2)/Implied for these districts. |
| Off-Premises Sign/Billboard | As specified by CUP, not to exceed district maximum | As specified by CUP, not to exceed district maximum | — | Must meet minimum setbacks. See CUP approval. | — | Only in GB or I Districts, in areas conjoining state/federal/county aid highway | — | § 153.07(A)-(C) |

## Prohibited signs in Hinckley

- No sign shall be allowed that is a hazard to the public health, safety, convenience or welfare.
- No sign shall prevent ingress or egress from any door, window or fire escape.
- No sign shall tend to accumulate debris as a fire hazard.
- No sign shall be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
- Signs shall not resemble, imitate or approximate the shape, size, form or color of railroad or traffic signs, signals or devices.
- No sign shall be placed so as to distract or interfere with traffic visibility or traffic control.
- Private signs are prohibited within the public right-of-way of any street or easement.
- Signs with rotating beams or flashing or flickering illumination are prohibited.
- Signs painted or attached to vehicles, where the vehicle is parked on a property and not intended to be moved, are prohibited.
- Signs painted directly onto the side or roof of a building are prohibited.
- Signs constructed in violation of state or federal regulations are prohibited.
- Signs that are placed to block or obstruct the view of another existing sign from the public right-of-way, as determined by the Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission, are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Hinckley

- Signs less than four square feet in area and six feet in height do not require a permit but must conform to chapter requirements.
- Under canopy signs not more than one square foot in area, do not exceed the width of the canopy, and provide a minimum of eight feet of clearance between the sign and the ground do not require a permit but must conform to chapter requirements.
- Window signs placed only inside of buildings, provided not more than 50% of the window is covered, do not require a permit but must conform to chapter requirements.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Business complex/strip mall-type development shall be permitted signage as approved by the Planning Commission during the required site plan review process.
- A comprehensive signage plan is required to be submitted to the Zoning Administrator for review and approval by the Planning Commission for business complex/strip mall-type development.
- A landscaping plan shall be provided at the time of application for business signs governed under the related subchapter. Said landscaping plan shall be reviewed by the City Planner prior to issuance of a permit.
- Any sign may be erected or maintained only after application for and granting of a sign permit by the City Zoning Administrator, except for exempt signs.

## 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 Hinckley — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Hinckley+MN&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-hinckley

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/minnesota/hinckley