# Sign Regulations in Owatonna, Minnesota

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

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

## At a glance

Owatonna, Minnesota regulates 29 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Political Campaign Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 6 ft if freestanding tall and 5 sq ft in A-O, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, R-B, B-1; 24 sq ft in all other districts, with a 5 ft from all property lines if freestanding setback (Sec. § 153.12(A)(4)). Most commercial signs in Owatonna require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 13 | 20 ft if freestanding | 50 sq ft | — |
| Agriculture and residence districts | 3 | 8 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| R-B District | 2 | 8 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| B-1 District | 2 | 20 ft | 50 sq ft | — |
| B-2 District | 3 | 35 ft | 100 sq ft | — |
| B-2 District (Highway Business Sign Overlay District) | 4 | 50 ft | 300 sq ft | — |
| B-3 Central Business District | 4 | 6 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| Industrial Districts | 2 | 35 ft max; min 8 ft above grade | 850 sq ft | — |
| I-P Industrial Park District | 1 | 35 ft max; min 8 ft above grade | 850 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 9 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign | 6 ft if freestanding | 2 sq ft in R-1, R-2, R-3; 5 sq ft in all other zones | — | 5 ft from all property lines if freestanding | — | Not closer than 5 ft from all property lines if freestanding | — | § 153.12(A)(2) |
| Political Campaign Sign | 6 ft if freestanding | 5 sq ft in A-O, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, R-B, B-1; 24 sq ft in all other districts | — | 5 ft from all property lines if freestanding | One per candidate per premises | Private property only | — | § 153.12(A)(4) |
| Construction/Development Sign (R-1, R-2, R-3) | 10 ft if freestanding | 32 sq ft | — | 5 ft from all property lines | One per major street the project abuts | On site of development | — | § 153.12(A)(6) |
| Construction/Development Sign (All other zoning districts) | 20 ft if freestanding | 50 sq ft | — | 20 ft from all property lines | One per major street the project abuts | On site of development | — | § 153.12(A)(6) |
| Information/Directional Sign (R-1, R-2, R-3) | 6 ft if freestanding | 2 sq ft | — | 5 ft from property lines if freestanding | — | — | — | § 153.12(A)(9) |
| Information/Directional Sign (All other zones except B-2 and B-2 Highway Business Sign Overlay District) | 6 ft if freestanding | 5 sq ft | — | 5 ft from property lines if freestanding | — | — | — | § 153.12(A)(9) |
| Information/Directional Sign (B-2 District, Highway Business Sign Overlay District) | 6 ft if freestanding | 12 sq ft | — | 5 ft from property lines if freestanding | — | — | — | § 153.12(A)(9) |
| Gas Station Pump Island Sign (not info/directional) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | One per gas pump | At gas pump; one per pump | — | § 153.12(A)(11) |

### Agriculture and residence districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Institutional Identification Sign (Freestanding) | 8 ft | 32 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from all property lines | One per property; additional per abutting right-of-way | One per property, except property abutting 2 or more public rights-of-way is allowed an additional sign per right-of-way | — | § 153.25(A)(1) |
| Institutional Identification Sign (Wall Sign) | — | 32 sq ft per property, plus additional 32 sq ft per abutting right-of-way | — | — | Per property | — | — | § 153.25(A)(2) |
| Area Identification Sign (Freestanding) | 8 ft | 32 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from all property lines | — | — | — | § 153.25(B) |

### B-2 District (Highway Business Sign Overlay District)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Sign (Freestanding Sign - Standard) | 35 ft | 200 sq ft | — | 5 ft from all property lines | One per property; additional per abutting right-of-way | One per property; additional per abutting right-of-way | — | § 153.28(B)(1)(a) |
| Business Sign (Freestanding Sign - Large) | 50 ft | 300 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 153.28(B)(2) |
| Business Sign (Wall Sign - Option 1) | — | 100 sq ft per business; additional 100 sq ft per abutting right-of-way | — | — | — | — | — | § 153.28(B)(1)(b) |
| Projecting Sign (Wall-Mounted) | — | — | — | — | — | Projecting from building wall but not over property lines | — | § 153.28(B)(1)(b) |

## Prohibited signs in Owatonna

- No signs other than governmental signs shall be erected or temporarily placed within any street right-of-way or upon any public lands or easements or rights-of-way.
- The use of portable reader board signs, searchlights and other signs of a temporary nature is prohibited, except for authorized temporary signs for political/civic/social nonprofit functions with permit; banners and pennants allowed for up to 12 days per year without permit.
- No sign or sign structure shall protrude over public right-of-way, except in a B-3 District.
- Any sign on public sidewalks must be at least eight feet above grade and no closer than two feet from the curb line.
- All signs shall display permit number.
- If any property use or business changes ownership, type, location, or discontinues operation, all signs/structures identifying the former use/business must be removed or brought into conformance within 180 days.
- No sign shall be painted on buildings, fences, trees, stores or similar objects in any district. Windows on storefronts are exempt.
- No person shall construct, establish or maintain stationary exterior/interior lighting systems intended to be viewed from public thoroughfares that use revolving beacon lights, sequential flashings with more than one-third of lights changing state at once, or imitate official traffic signs/signals, with exceptions for certain public/safety uses.
- Any sign which obstructs vision of drivers or pedestrians or detracts from visibility of traffic-control devices or interferes with corner lot visibility within 30 feet of intersection, except in Central Business District.
- Any sign which contains or imitates an official traffic sign or signal, except for private, on-premises directional signs.
- Any sign which consists of banners, pennants, ribbons, streamers, light bulb strings, spinners, or similar devices (except as expressly permitted per § 153.08(D)).
- Signs attached in any manner to trees, fences, utility poles or other such permanent supports, except on fences inside baseball parks.
- Displays not shielded to prevent light directed at oncoming traffic or that impair driver vision; no device illuminated in a way that interferes with or obscures official traffic sign or signal (includes indoor signs visible from public streets).
- Any sign, other than public signs, located within any street right-of-way.
- A legal non-conforming sign may not be altered to another non-conforming sign, structurally altered (except to bring into compliance), expanded, reestablished after removal for 90 days, or reestablished after damage >50% of replacement cost except to bring into compliance.

## Signs exempt from permit in Owatonna

- Public signs.
- Identification signs (not to exceed 2 sq. ft. in R-1, R-2, R-3; 5 sq. ft. in other zones; freestanding height/placement restrictions apply).
- Integral signs.
- Political campaign signs (one per candidate per premises; size and removal regulations by zone; must be on private property and bear responsible person's name/address; removal after elections).
- Holiday signs (displayed not more than 60 days; no larger than 32 sq. ft.).
- Construction or development signs (confined to construction site; removal within 2 years of first building permit or project completion; size/placement limits by zone).
- Individual property sale or rental signs (removed within 30 days of sale/rental; one per premises except corner properties; size limits by zone).
- Signs for leasing/renting dwelling units in buildings with two or more units (5 sq. ft., located on building, one per complex).
- Informational/directional signs (max 2 sq. ft. in R-1, R-2, R-3; 5 sq. ft. in others; B-2/Highway Overlay District up to 12 sq. ft.; freestanding height/setback restrictions).
- Water towers with owner identification.
- Gas station pump island signs (max 4 sq. ft., one per pump, excludes informational/directional signs).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A site plan to scale must be submitted as part of a sign permit application, showing lot lines, structures, parking areas, and both existing/proposed signs, per § 153.45(E).
- Plans, location, specifications, and method of construction/attachment or placement in ground must be submitted with the permit application (§ 153.45(F)).
- Variance requests are handled by the Planning Commission/Board of Adjustment and Appeals, with a published variance application process and public hearing (§ 153.49).
- In case a sign type is neither specifically permitted nor denied in a zoning district, a study may be requested and, if appropriate, the ordinance may be amended to provide for it following City Council/Planning Commission review (§ 153.05).

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

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