# Sign Regulations in Mayer, Minnesota

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Mayer, Minnesota (MN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/minnesota/mayer
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-20

## At a glance

Mayer, Minnesota regulates 8 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Commercial District (C-1, C-2) zoning district are capped at C-1: 30 feet; C-2: 20 feet tall and C-1: 150 sf/surface; C-2: 60 sf/surface, with a 2 feet from property line setback (Sec. § 152.131(A)-(G), § 152.131A). Most commercial signs in Mayer require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District (R-1, R-2, R-3) | 5 | 6 feet | 12 sf per surface, max 2 per lot for garage/yard sales; 32 sf per surface, max 2 per lot for real estate sale/lease | — |
| Agricultural District | 5 | 6 feet | <10,000 sf lot: 6 sf/surface, 12 sf total; 10,000-20,000 sf lot: 12 sf/surface, 24 sf total; >20,000 sf lot: 12 sf/surface, 48 sf total | — |
| Commercial District (C-1, C-2) | 6 | 4 feet from grade | 32 sf per surface, max two per lot | — |
| Commercial/Industrial District (C/I) | 6 | 30 feet | 150 sf per surface | — |
| Public/Institutional District (P/I) | 6 | 30 feet | 150 sf per surface | — |
| Industrial District (C/I) | 6 | 30 feet | 150 sf per surface | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### Commercial District (C-1, C-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | C-1: 30 feet; C-2: 20 feet | C-1: 150 sf/surface; C-2: 60 sf/surface | — | C-1: 10 feet from property line plus clear sight triangle; C-2: 2 feet from property line | One per right-of-way visible from a public street | C-1: 10 feet from property line plus clear sight triangle; C-2: 2 feet from property line | — | § 152.131(A)-(G), § 152.131A |
| Wall Sign | — | C-1: 150 sf/surface; C-2: 60 sf/surface | — | — | — | May project up to 2 feet from wall | — | § 152.131(A),(H), § 152.131A |
| Canopy/Awning/Marquee Sign (Building Sign) | — | C-1: 150 sf/surface; C-2: 60 sf/surface | — | — | — | May project up to 6 feet from wall; min. 10 ft above sidewalk if over sidewalk | — | § 152.131(A),(H) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 feet from grade | 8 sf per surface | — | Cannot take up more than two feet of sidewalk if on sidewalk | 1 per entity | On sidewalk or right-of-way as permitted | — | § 152.132, § 152.124 |
| Temporary or Portable Sign | — | 32 sf per surface, max two per lot | — | — | No more than four temporary/portable per lot, no more than three temporary portable frontage signs | Private property | — | § 152.133(B), § 152.124 |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Street-facing windows | — | § 152.129(D), § 152.124(A)(3) |

### Commercial/Industrial District (C/I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 30 feet | 150 sf per surface | — | 10 feet from property line plus clear sight triangle | One per right-of-way visible from a public street | 10 feet from property line plus clear sight triangle | — | § 152.131(A)-(G), § 152.131A |
| Wall Sign | — | 150 sf per surface | — | — | — | May project up to 2 feet from wall | — | § 152.131(A),(H), § 152.131A |
| Canopy/Awning/Marquee Sign (Building Sign) | — | 150 sf per surface | — | — | — | May project up to 6 feet from wall; min. 10 ft above sidewalk if over sidewalk | — | § 152.131(A),(H), § 152.131A |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 feet from grade | 8 sf per surface | — | Cannot take up more than two feet of sidewalk if on sidewalk | 1 per entity | On sidewalk or right-of-way as permitted | — | § 152.132, § 152.124 |
| Temporary or Portable Sign | — | 32 sf per surface, max two per lot | — | — | No more than four temporary/portable per lot, no more than three temporary portable frontage signs | Private property | — | § 152.133(B), § 152.124 |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Street-facing windows | — | § 152.129(D), § 152.124(A)(3) |

### Public/Institutional District (P/I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 30 feet | 150 sf per surface | — | 10 feet from property line plus clear sight triangle | One per right-of-way visible from a public street | 10 feet from property line plus clear sight triangle | — | § 152.131(A)-(G), § 152.131A |
| Wall Sign | — | 150 sf per surface | — | — | — | May project up to 2 feet from wall | — | § 152.131(A),(H), § 152.131A |
| Canopy/Awning/Marquee Sign (Building Sign) | — | 150 sf per surface | — | — | — | May project up to 6 feet from wall; min. 10 ft above sidewalk if over sidewalk | — | § 152.131(A),(H), § 152.131A |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 feet from grade | 8 sf per surface | — | Cannot take up more than two feet of sidewalk if on sidewalk | 1 per entity | On sidewalk or right-of-way as permitted | — | § 152.132, § 152.124 |
| Temporary or Portable Sign | — | 32 sf per surface, max two per lot | — | — | No more than four temporary/portable per lot, no more than three temporary portable frontage signs | Private property | — | § 152.133(B), § 152.124 |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Street-facing windows | — | § 152.129(D), § 152.124(A)(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Mayer

- No sign shall exceed 250 square feet in area.
- Signs shall not be erected, placed, or maintained on rocks, fences, trees, and the like and shall not interfere with any electric light, power, telephone, or cable wire/fiber or their support.
- No sign shall be attached to or placed upon any building in such a manner to obstruct any window or door for fire escape or be attached to any fire escape.
- All off-premise commercial signs are prohibited.
- No sign shall be erected within a corner lot sight triangle so that clear visibility of approaching vehicular or pedestrian traffic can be maintained, except for authorized signs within the C-2, Central Business District.
- Any additional or other signage not stated in this subchapter shall require approval of the City Council and/or other jurisdictional authority.
- No sign shall contain statements, words, pictures or drawings of an obscene nature or character as defined by M.S. § 617.241, Subd. 1(a), as may be amended.
- All signs along state and federal highways shall conform to state and federal sign regulations.
- No sign shall be erected, altered, reconstructed, maintained or moved in the city without first securing a permit from the city, unless specifically exempted.

## Signs exempt from permit in Mayer

- The changing of the display surface on a painted, printed, or changeable copy sign/reader board signs only.
- Signs six square feet or less in size, per surface.
- Window signage as permitted in the general standards.
- Temporary and portable signage as permitted in this section.
- Signs governed by the standards of M.S. § 211B.045 as may be amended and relating to noncommercial signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No permit shall be issued for an individual sign requiring a permit unless and until a master signage plan or a common signage plan for the zone lot on which the sign will be erected has been submitted to the Zoning Administrator and approved.
- A master or common signage plan shall be included in any development plan, site plan, planned unit development plan, or other official plan required by the city for the proposed development and shall be processed simultaneously with such other plan.
- A master signage plan is required for any zone lot on which the owner proposes to erect one or more signs requiring a permit, unless such zone lot is included in a common signage plan.
- A common signage plan is required or may be submitted if the owners of two or more contiguous zone lots, or the owner of a single lot with more than one building, seek increased flexibility (i.e., a 25% increase in maximum total sign area per lot).
- If any new or amended common signage plan is filed for a property on which existing signs are located, it shall include a schedule for bringing into conformance, within three years, all signs not conforming to the proposed amended plan or requirements of the current ordinance.

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

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