# Sign Regulations in Osseo, Minnesota

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

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

## At a glance

Osseo, Minnesota regulates 7 sign types across 10 zoning districts. Sign (R-2) (Within 30 feet of Traveled Public Road ROW)s in the Residential District (R-1, R-2) zoning district are capped at 7 ft tall and 32 sq ft, with a 5 ft setback (Sec. § 153.093(B)(1); Appendix C Table). Most commercial signs in Osseo require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (10 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | See zone-specific, but generally not >6 ft above grade unless permit | 150 sq ft per individual sign (unless otherwise set by zone) | — |
| Residential District (R-1, R-2) | 2 | 7 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| R-1 | 1 | 6 ft | 8 sq ft | — |
| R-2 | 2 | 7 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| Central Business District (CBD) | 1 | 8 ft | 50 sq ft per sign | — |
| Highway Commercial Districts (C2-N, C2-S) | 1 | 15 ft | 150 sq ft per sign | — |
| Manufacturing and Industrial District (M) | 1 | 15 ft | 150 sq ft per sign | — |
| Public Institution District (PI) | 1 | 25 ft | 150 sq ft per sign | — |
| Undeveloped Lots in Non-Residential Districts (CBD, C2-N, C2-S, M, PI) | 1 | 8 ft | 40 sq ft per sign | — |
| Permitted Nonresidential Uses in Residential Districts (R-1, R-2) | 1 | 8 ft | 32 sq ft per sign | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 10 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sign (General) | See zone-specific, but generally not >6 ft above grade unless permit | 150 sq ft per individual sign (unless otherwise set by zone) | — | See zone-specific setbacks; Overhang signs: 1.5 ft max overhang, 8 ft min clearance above sidewalk. | — | Not permitted to extend over any property line, street, sidewalk, alleys, highway, or public property, except overhang signs (with special rules) | — | § 153.090, § 153.091, § 153.092 |
| Class C Signage (e.g. Feather Banners, Pennant Signs, Inflated Signs, etc.) | — | — | — | — | — | Permit: up to 3 permits per property/year, each good for up to 7 days. | — | § 153.092(A)(8) |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | In or affixed to window | — | § 153.092(B)(2)(b) |
| Moveable Signs (including Sandwich Board Signs) | 4 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per principal entrance (for Sandwich Board) | Not placed in public ROW except as outdoor display; in ROW, only during hours business is open | — | § 153.092(B)(2)(a),(3)(c) |

### Residential District (R-1, R-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sign (General, Nonexempt) | R-1: 6 ft; R-2: 6 ft (except as below) | R-1: 8 sq ft; R-2: 8 sq ft (except as below) | — | R-1: Front 1 ft, Side 10 ft, Rear 10 ft; R-2: Front 5 ft, Side/Rear 5 ft, 10 ft where abutting R district | — | — | — | § 153.093(A), (B); Appendix C Table |
| Sign (R-2) (Within 30 feet of Traveled Public Road ROW) | 7 ft | 32 sq ft | — | Front: 5 ft, Side/Rear: 5 ft | 1 per street frontage (if meets locational requirement) | Within 30 ft of a traveled public road ROW | — | § 153.093(B)(1); Appendix C Table |

### R-2

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sign (General, Nonexempt) | 6 ft | 8 sq ft | — | Front: 5 ft, Side/Rear: 5 ft, 10 ft where abutting R district | — | — | — | § 153.093(B); Appendix C Table |
| Sign (Within 30 feet of Traveled Public Road ROW) | 7 ft | 32 sq ft | — | Front: 5 ft, Side/Rear: 5 ft or 10 ft abutting R | 1 per street frontage | Within 30 ft of a traveled public road ROW | — | § 153.093(B)(1); Appendix C Table |

## Prohibited signs in Osseo

- Any sign, signal, marking, or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles any official traffic control device or railroad sign or signal, or emergency vehicle signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic, or which hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any official traffic control device, roadway, intersection, or railroad sign or signal, unless installed and maintained by or under agreement with a unit of government.
- Abandoned signs.
- Roof signs.
- Signs painted, attached, engraved, etched, or otherwise affixed to public utility poles, bridges, towers, streetlights, or similar public structures except as otherwise provided.
- Any sign larger than three square feet which is animated, or which moves or rotates, including animated signs and flashing signs, but excluding class C signage as permitted by this subchapter.

## Signs exempt from permit in Osseo

- Individual signs not exceeding one-half square feet in any zoning district.
- Individual signs in the R-1, R-2, CBD, C2-N, C2-S, and M zoning districts, or located on public property with the approval of the appropriate public agency or body, which are either not greater than three square feet in size and with any letters or numbers not greater than six inches in height, or not greater than six square feet in size and with any letters or numbers not greater than three inches in height.
- Signs erected within a public right-of-way that are approved by the appropriate governmental agency with authority over the right-of-way.
- The changing of the display surface or sign face on a previously approved and erected sign or complete replacement of a sign when such change or replacement would be consistent with a previously issued permit or a sign considered to be a legal nonconformity and would not require compliance with building codes, unless such sign is an abandoned sign.
- Flags and pennants, up to and not exceeding the maximum size and cumulative size allowances by zoning district as listed in § 153.092(A)(3)(e).
- Interior signs.
- Signs integrally attached to or part of waste roll-offs, dumpsters, garbage cans, portable storage units, or similar equipment used by commercial businesses for waste collection or temporary storage, or construction materials or equipment.
- Personal property or motor vehicles when being used in the normal day to day operation of a business, provided the vehicle is in operable condition, has a valid license tag, and does not remain parked at the same location for 48 continuous hours.
- Signs affixed on city-owned property or equipment, approved by the city council or Zoning Administrator or their designee.
- Signs affixed on property owned by a county, state, or federal governmental body or public school district unless specifically prohibited by this section.
- Signs required by law.
- Headstones, gravestones, grave markers, or other similar signs attached to, or adjacent to, a burial plot, columbarium, mausoleum, or the like.
- Seasonal, holiday, or festive decoration in residential districts.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Applications for a sign permit may be for specific signs or may be in the form of an overall signage plan for the property.
- Permit applications must be in writing on a form provided by the city and include required details on construction and placement for all signs on the property.
- Any request for variation from the provisions (such as for signs not complying with the ordinance) must be brought as a variance, under § 153.150 of the code and applicable Minnesota State Law.
- Electronic Message Display (EMD) signs require a conditional use permit identifying the EMD as an approved conditional use.

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

---

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