# Sign Regulations in Saint Michael, Minnesota

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

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

## At a glance

Saint Michael, Minnesota regulates 22 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Sandwich Board Sign (Business Zones)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 4 feet tall and 8 sq ft per face, with a Meet principal building setbacks or within 10 feet of entry door; see B-2 exception. setback (Sec. § 155.494(F)). Most commercial signs in Saint Michael require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | 6 feet | No limit (as per M.S. § 211B.045) | — |
| Agricultural Zoning Districts (A-1) | 2 | 20 feet | 20 sq ft per surface | — |
| Residential Zoning Districts (R-1, R-1a, R-2, RR, R-3, R-4) | 4 | 10 feet | 100 sq ft | — |
| Business Zoning Districts (B-1, B-2, B-3), Industrial Zoning District (I-1) | 7 | 30 ft | 200 sq ft | — |
| Public and Institutional Zoning District | 3 | 10 ft | 64 sq ft | — |
| Planned Unit Development Districts | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Governmental Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Public interest, placed by public officers or utilities, including in right-of-ways as necessary for public function. | — | § 155.494(A) |
| Campaign Sign | — | No limit (as per M.S. § 211B.045) | — | — | No limit during designated election period | Confined to private property, not within public right of way and not within 100 feet of a polling place on election day. | — | § 155.494(B) |
| Window Sign | — | 50% of window area | — | — | — | Affixed to or inside of a window visible to the general public. | — | § 155.494(C) |
| Address Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | At least one required per building | On each building, easily seen from nearest street. | — | § 155.494(D) |
| Flag (Non-Commercial) | — | 24 sq ft (all districts except Public/Institutional); 60 sq ft (Public and Institutional) | — | Minimum 10 ft from public right-of-way; side yard setback at least equal to height of flagpole. | 3 per lot maximum | Flagpole; side yard setback at least equal to height of flagpole, minimum 10 ft from public right-of-way. | — | § 155.494(E) |
| Temporary & Special Event Sign (Residential Zones) | 6 feet | 10 sq ft per surface (R-1, R-1a, R-2, RR, R-3, R-4); 1 sign up to 10 sq ft per surface per lot | — | — | 1 per lot at a time | On the lot or parcel in a residential district. | — | § 155.496(F)(1), § 155.496(B)(1) |
| Temporary & Special Event Sign (Non-Residential Zones) | — | 32 sq ft per side (speed limit <45 mph); 64 sq ft per side (speed limit 45 mph+) | — | — | 1 per street front at a time | On subject premises or for special event signs, on or off the premises of the special event. | — | § 155.496(F)(2) |
| Sandwich Board Sign (Business Zones) | 4 feet | 8 sq ft per face | — | Meet principal building setbacks or within 10 feet of entry door; see B-2 exception. | One per site, or one per tenant for multitenant sites | On business property; must meet principal building setbacks or be within 10 feet of principal door. In B-2, allowed on public sidewalks directly in front of business. | — | § 155.494(F) |

### Residential Zoning Districts (R-1, R-1a, R-2, RR, R-3, R-4)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-commercial Message Sign | 6 feet | 10 sq ft per surface | — | 10 ft from curb and property line; 10 ft between signs. | 2 per property | — | — | § 155.496(B)(1)(a)-(c) |
| Commercial Sign (Wall Sign, Home Occupation) | 6 feet | 2 sq ft | — | See location. | 1 per property | Mounted flat to exterior wall of principal structure (except R-2 and RR: may be freestanding within 5 ft of driveway and min. 40 ft from road or 30 ft from front property line). | — | § 155.496(B)(1)(d) |
| Monument Sign (Conditional Use) | 10 feet | 64 sq ft per sign | — | 10 ft from any property line/driveway/parking lot. | 1 per property | Min 10 ft from property line, driveway, or parking lot. | — | § 155.496(B)(2)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Conditional Use) | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | Allowed on one wall; buildings on corner or through lots may have signage per number of street frontages. | — | § 155.496(B)(2)(b) |

### Business Zoning Districts (B-1, B-2, B-3), Industrial Zoning District (I-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign | 18 ft (B-1, B-3, I-1); 6 ft (B-2) | 96 sq ft each side (B-1, B-3, I-1); 32 sq ft (B-2) | — | Typically 10 ft from side/front lot line, 5 ft from driveway/parking (except as noted for B-2). | 1 per property; double-frontage: 2 | No part less than 10 ft from side or front lot line, or less than 5 ft from driveway/parking; except B-2, min 5 ft from property line, parking or driveway. | — | § 155.496(C)(2) |
| Wall Sign | — | 200 sq ft | — | — | — | Erected within entryway or portion of building occupied by business; not on prohibited elements. | — | § 155.496(C)(3), (5) |
| Freestanding Sign (for multi-tenant >25,000 sq ft) | 30 ft | 150 sq ft | — | — | 1 per site | Multiple Tenant Buildings (4+ tenants with exterior entrances) | — | § 155.496(C)(4) |
| Projecting Sign (B-2 Only) | — | 20 sq ft | 4 ft projection max | — | — | On building, can extend into public right-of-way above sidewalk (subject to insurance/hold harmless). | — | § 155.496(C)(6) |
| Canopy/Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On canopy or awning affixed to building. | — | § 155.496(C)(7) |
| Canopy Sign (Motor Vehicle Stations) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On face of canopy over motor fuel stations; one per street frontage. | — | § 155.496(C)(8) |
| Dynamic Display Sign (Monument Sign) | — | 32 sq ft or 75% of sign area, whichever is less | — | In B-1 and B-3, min 75 ft from residential use or zone | 1 per lot | Permitted only on monument signs, lot must have at least 100 ft road frontage, one per lot | — | § 155.496(C)(9) |

## Prohibited signs in Saint Michael

- No signs, other than those of governmental jurisdictions, shall be permitted within public right-of-way or roadway easements.
- No sign or sign structure shall be closer to any lot line than ten feet unless otherwise regulated.
- No sign shall be placed within any drainage or utility easement, except upon written approval of the City Engineer.
- No signs, guys, stays or attachments shall be erected, placed or maintained on rocks, fences, or trees, nor interfere with any electric light, power, telephone or telegraph wires or their supports.
- No sign shall be attached or allowed to hang from any building until all necessary wall and roof attachments have been approved by the City Building Official.
- No sign shall be permitted to obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or opening intended to provide light, air, ingress or egress of any building or structure.
- The installation of electrical signs shall be subject to the state's Electrical Code. Electrical service shall be underground for freestanding signs and not visible from public view for wall signs.
- Illuminated signs shall comply with city lighting standards and be shielded to prevent lights from being directed onto residential property or at oncoming traffic so as not to impair driver vision. Such signs may not interfere with or obscure an official traffic sign or signal.
- Signs and sign structures must be properly maintained and kept in a safe condition; deteriorated or unsafe signs must be removed, repainted, repaired, or replaced.
- All freestanding signs and their structures must be architecturally designed to match the principal structure.
- No illuminated architectural feature (not defined as signage or a canopy sign) shall have changing color, illumination, or intensity; scrolling, flashing, movement, or motion is not permitted.
- No feature may be illuminated except during business hours or until 11:00 p.m., whichever is later.
- Any sign or attention-getting device not specifically regulated by the sign ordinance is prohibited unless determined acceptable by the City Council.
- Prohibition of: roof signs; signs painted directly on outside walls; off-premise signs (with limited exceptions for parks); private signs that resemble official markers or use 'stop' or 'danger' unless specified; flashing signs; motion signs or those giving off intermittent, steady, or rotating beams of light (with limited exceptions); illegal nonconforming signs; signs advertising obsolete activities, businesses, products, or services; signs on or attached to equipment such as vehicles, semi-truck trailers or portable trailers where signing is a principal use of the equipment; electronic message signs (except for those specifically allowed).

## Signs exempt from permit in Saint Michael

- Signs posted by government or public utilities in the public interest, erected by or on the order of public officers in the performance of their public duty, are permitted without a permit.
- Campaign signs containing non-commercial speech are permitted from 46 days before the state primary in a state general election year until ten days following the state general election, confined to private property (with other limitations for polling place proximity).
- Window signs are allowed provided they do not exceed 50% of the area of the window in which they are displayed and comply with sign area allowances of the zoning district.
- Address signs: at least one per building is required in all districts, not exceeding two square feet in area, containing numerals of sufficient size to be legible from the nearest street.
- Non-commercial flags: up to three per lot, subject to maximum size per zoning district, do not count against maximum sign area and do not require a permit.
- In business zoning districts, one sandwich board sign per site (or per tenant for multi-tenant sites) is allowed (with size, placement, and design constraints detailed in the ordinance).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A site plan to scale showing the location of lot lines, building structures, parking areas, existing and proposed signs and any other physical features is required with any sign permit application (per § 155.498).
- Landscape plans for area around signs must be submitted as part of the sign permit application.
- Sign design and site plan approval is required for dynamic display signs as part of the dynamic display sign licensing (permit) process.
- For community park/playfield advertising signs, the Park Board reviews each proposal and makes a recommendation to the City Council, which holds a public hearing for approval; written agreements outlining responsibilities are also required.
- A temporary or special event sign permit is required prior to display of such signs, with site plan information provided.

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

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