# Sign Regulations in Staples, Minnesota

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Staples, Minnesota (MN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/minnesota/staples
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MN/Staples/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=SPAGEOR_CH16LIPEMIRE_ARTVIIICAPR_S16-224SI)

## At a glance

Staples, Minnesota regulates 19 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Building Sign (Per Dwelling Unit)s in the A-1 Agricultural zoning district are capped at 10 ft above average grade level tall and 1 sq ft, with a 10 feet from any property line setback (Sec. Sec. 109-123(i)(1), (6), (7)). Most commercial signs in Staples require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A-1 Agricultural | 4 | 10 ft above average grade level | 32 sq ft per side | — |
| R-1 Residential, R-2, R-3 Multifamily residential, R-4 Manufactured/mobile home | 4 | 10 ft above average grade level | 32 sq ft per side | — |
| B-1 Business district, B-2 Highway business district | 4 | 40 ft from average grade | 250 sq ft per side per sign; total up to 250 sq ft per street frontage | — |
| I-1 Limited industry, I-2 General industry | 2 | 40 ft from average grade | Up to 250 sq ft per side per sign, or 1 sq ft per front foot | — |
| Business Corridor Overlay District | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | 4 ft | 240 sq ft per side, max 2 sides | — |

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

### A-1 Agricultural

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign (Per Dwelling Unit) | 10 ft above average grade level | 1 sq ft | — | 10 feet from any property line | 1 per dwelling unit | — | — | Sec. 109-123(i)(1), (6), (7) |
| Building Sign (Dwelling Group, 6 or More Units) | 10 ft above average grade level | 6 sq ft | — | 10 feet from any property line | 1 per dwelling group of 6 or more | — | — | Sec. 109-123(i)(2), (6), (7) |
| Freestanding or Monument Sign (Nonresidential/Multi-family, 6+ Units) | 10 ft above average grade level | 32 sq ft per side | — | 10 feet from all property lines and right-of-way | 1 per qualifying use | — | — | Sec. 109-123(i)(3), (6), (7) |
| Building Sign (Nonresidential/Conditional Use) | 10 ft above average grade level | 12 sq ft | — | 10 feet from any property line | 1 per permitted nonresidential use | — | — | Sec. 109-123(i)(4), (6), (7) |

### R-1 Residential, R-2, R-3 Multifamily residential, R-4 Manufactured/mobile home

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign (Per Dwelling Unit) | 10 ft above average grade level | 1 sq ft | — | 10 feet from any property line | 1 per dwelling unit | — | — | Sec. 109-123(j)(1), (6), (7) |
| Building Sign (Dwelling Group, 3 or More Units) | 10 ft above average grade level | 3 sq ft | — | 10 feet from any property line | 1 per dwelling group | — | — | Sec. 109-123(j)(2), (6), (7) |
| Freestanding or Monument Sign (Multifamily, 6+ Units) | 10 ft above average grade level | 32 sq ft per side | — | 10 feet from all property lines and right-of-way | 1 per qualifying use | — | — | Sec. 109-123(j)(3), (6), (7) |
| Building Sign (Permitted Nonresidential or Use by Conditional Use Permit) | 10 ft above average grade level | 12 sq ft | — | 10 feet from any property line | 1 per permitted nonresidential use | — | — | Sec. 109-123(j)(4), (6), (7) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Portable or Temporary Sign | — | 32 sq ft, 2 sides max | — | — | 1 per lot | Not in public right-of-way. Not in residential/agricultural districts. | — | Sec. 109-123(e)(1) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 ft | 8 sq ft per side, max 4 ft tall | Total width must not cross >2 ft of sidewalk if placed there | — | 1 per entity | Sidewalk, public right-of-way (with indemnity/insurance) | — | Sec. 109-123(e)(2) |
| Window Sign | — | No more than 25% of street-facing window area | — | — | — | Interior of street-facing window | — | Sec. 109-123(f)(9) |
| Construction Site Sign | — | 240 sq ft per side, max 2 sides | — | — | 1 per construction site | On construction site | — | Sec. 109-123(f)(7) |
| Flag Sign (noncommercial) | — | Up to 100 sq ft per flag; up to 3 flags per lot | — | — | Up to 3 per lot | On private lot | — | Sec. 109-123(f)(4) |

## Prohibited signs in Staples

- No sign shall be erected, constructed, altered, rebuilt or relocated until a permit has been issued by the city, except as otherwise stated herein.
- Signs within the public right-of-way or publicly-owned land that are not posted by authorized government officials or otherwise permitted by this section are prohibited.
- Signs painted, attached, or in any manner affixed to trees, rocks, or similar natural surfaces, or attached to public utility poles, bridges or similar public structures, not including public water storage facilities or towers, are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Billboards are prohibited.
- No sign shall be erected which will obstruct a driver's view of pedestrian, bicyclist, equestrian, or motor vehicle traffic.
- No sign shall be erected which by reason of position, shape or color, would detract from or otherwise interfere with the proper functioning of a traffic control sign or signal.
- No sign shall be erected that resembles any official marker erected by a governmental agency except signs posted by authorized government officials.
- No sign shall be permitted to obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway, or opening intended to provide light, air, ingress or egress for any building.
- No sign shall project higher than 40 feet above the grade at the place where the sign is located, if freestanding, or above the height of the building to which it is attached.
- No sign shall be erected or maintained on private property without written permission from the owner.
- No freestanding or monument signs erected on private property shall encroach onto public property.
- Where a sign is illuminated, the source of light shall not be directed upon any part of a residence or into any residential district and the light source must also be shielded.
- Signs must be equipped with a means to immediately turn off the display or lighting if it malfunctions, and the owner or operator must turn off the sign or lighting when notified by the city of non-compliance.
- Any sign alteration will require an amended sign permit.
- No sign shall be erected which is not of good quality, or is not designed to include attractive and tasteful colors and design elements or is not compatible with the principal architectural features and colors of the building.
- Dynamic displays must be designed and equipped to freeze the device in one position if a malfunction occurs, and be equipped with a means to immediately discontinue the display upon malfunction.
- All signs shall be maintained in a good state of repair and free from rust, corrosion, loose or flaking paint, worn or damaged materials, rotted wooden members, and loose or missing parts.
- Signs shall not remain in a defaced state.
- A sign or sign structure that is not being maintained or is unsafe shall be repaired or removed by the owner after notification by the city.

## Signs exempt from permit in Staples

- Signs within the public right-of-way or publicly-owned land that are posted by authorized government officials.
- Signs located within a business, office, mall or other enclosed area that cannot be seen from the outside.
- Signs permitted by Minn. Stats. § 211B.045 (state law exemption for certain campaign signs).
- Up to three flags containing non-commercial speech only may be displayed upon a lot; each flag must not exceed 100 square feet in display surface area.
- Handicapped parking signs.
- One sign with a commercial message on a residentially zoned property that does not exceed six square feet per display surface area may be placed in the front yard of the property. One sign with a commercial message on a commercially or industrially zoned property that does not exceed 32 square feet per display surface area may be placed in the front yard. These signs must be removed within ten days after the closing date of the sale or lease of the property.
- One sign with a commercial message that does not exceed 240 square feet of surface per display surface area (with a maximum of two sides) may be placed upon a construction site. This sign must be removed within ten days after the closing date of the sale of the last lot owned by the development company.
- One sign smaller than five square feet in display surface area may be posted on any parcel of land, except that such sign may not be an off-premises sign and may not be illuminated or contain any dynamic displays.
- Window signs are permitted in street-facing windows of commercial and industrial zoned buildings, provided they do not exceed 25 percent of the window area that has street frontage.
- Building integrated solar energy systems are exempt from requirements of the solar energy system section and regulated as any other building element.
- Symbols, statues, sculptures and integrated architectural features on buildings are permitted and may be illuminated, but must meet applicable glare standards; a sign permit is not required.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No specific requirement for a master sign plan or sign plan covering an entire property is stated in the ordinance; sign permits are generally required on a per-sign basis unless exemptions apply.
- Applications for sign permits must include a site plan drawn to scale showing the location of lot lines, all existing and proposed structures, parking areas, existing and proposed signs, and any other physical features.
- Any sign alteration will require an amended sign permit.
- A variance from the sign section may be requested per section 109-37 and must be submitted in writing at the time of the sign permit application and is subject to the board of adjustments and appeals approval process.
- If a sign permit is denied or revoked, the applicant may appeal the decision to the board of adjustments and appeals.
- In the case of legal nonconforming signs, if a sign is damaged by fire or similar peril by more than 50% of its market value and no sign or building permit is applied for within 180 days, the sign must be removed.
- For sandwich board signs, the permit is valid through December 31 of each year and a copy of the approved sign permit must be attached to the sign at all times.
- In Planned Unit Developments (PUD), no explicit reference is made to a master sign plan, but site plans accompanying permits for multifamily structures must include all sign structures per Sec. 109-121(a).

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

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