# Sign Regulations in Belle Fourche, South Dakota

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Belle Fourche, South Dakota (SD)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/south-dakota/belle-fourche
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/SD/Belle_Fourche/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=TIT12STSIPUPL_CH12.30WASI)

## At a glance

Belle Fourche, South Dakota regulates 15 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Wall, Projecting, or Freestanding Sign (Multi-Family, Group Dwellings, Church, School, or Public Building)s in the Rural Residential District zoning district are capped at 12 ft tall and 20 sq ft, with a Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks setback (Sec. 17.37.030(4)c, 17.37.030(4)e, 17.37.030(4)g). Most commercial signs in Belle Fourche require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rural Residential District | 5 | 12 ft | 20 sq ft | — |
| Single-Family Residential District; Small Lot Single-Family Residential District; Multi-Family Residential District; Manufactured Home Residential District | 5 | 12 ft | 20 sq ft | — |
| Central Commercial District; Highway Commercial District; Neighborhood Commercial District; Light Industrial District; Heavy Industrial District; Public & Semi-Public District; Agricultural District | 6 | See Table 37-2 (22 - 40 ft depending on sign area) | 300 sq ft per sign | — |
| Floodplain Overlay District | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | 10 ft | Less than 25% of the window area | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### Rural Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Single-Family Dwelling) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On dwelling wall | — | 17.37.030(4)a, 17.37.030(4)e, 17.37.030(4)g |
| Wall Sign (Home Occupation) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On dwelling wall for home occupation | — | 17.37.030(4)b, 17.37.030(4)e, 17.37.030(4)g |
| Wall, Projecting, or Freestanding Sign (Multi-Family, Group Dwellings, Church, School, or Public Building) | 12 ft | 20 sq ft | — | Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | 1 per street frontage | Not closer than 1/2 the required building setbacks | — | 17.37.030(4)c, 17.37.030(4)e, 17.37.030(4)g |
| Freestanding Sign (Subdivision) | 12 ft | 20 sq ft | — | Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | 1 per entrance | At entrance to subdivision; not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | — | 17.37.030(4)d |
| Temporary Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | 10 per lot or 1 per 10 linear feet of frontage | Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | — | 17.37.030(3) |

### Single-Family Residential District; Small Lot Single-Family Residential District; Multi-Family Residential District; Manufactured Home Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Single-Family Dwelling) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On dwelling wall | — | 17.37.030(4)a, 17.37.030(4)e, 17.37.030(4)g |
| Wall Sign (Home Occupation) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On dwelling wall for home occupation | — | 17.37.030(4)b, 17.37.030(4)e, 17.37.030(4)g |
| Wall, Projecting, or Freestanding Sign (Multi-Family, Group Dwellings, Church, School, or Public Building) | 12 ft | 20 sq ft | — | Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | 1 per street frontage | Not closer than 1/2 the required building setbacks | — | 17.37.030(4)c, 17.37.030(4)e, 17.37.030(4)g |
| Freestanding Sign (Subdivision) | 12 ft | 20 sq ft | — | Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | 1 per entrance | At entrance to subdivision; not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | — | 17.37.030(4)d |
| Temporary Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | 10 per lot or 1 per 10 linear feet of frontage | Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | — | 17.37.030(3) |

### Central Commercial District; Highway Commercial District; Neighborhood Commercial District; Light Industrial District; Heavy Industrial District; Public & Semi-Public District; Agricultural District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (With Freestanding Sign Present) | — | 300 sq ft per sign | — | — | No limit within size allocation | On building wall, facing street frontage | — | 17.37.035 (Table 37-1) |
| Wall Sign (No Freestanding Sign on Same Frontage) | — | 300 sq ft per sign | — | — | No limit within size allocation | On building wall, facing street frontage | — | 17.37.035 (Table 37-1) |
| Freestanding Sign | See Table 37-2 (22 - 40 ft depending on sign area) | 300 sq ft per sign | — | Minimum distance from ROW: 10-50 ft depending on sign size per Table 37-2; 5 ft minimum from interior side or rear lot line | 1 per site | On premises | — | 17.37.035 (Table 37-1), 17.37.040.A.3 |
| Projecting Sign | — | Per wall sign allocation | — | If extends over sidewalk, must be at least 8 ft above ground for pedestrians; 14 ft above ground for vehicles | No limit within size allocation | Projecting from building wall; may extend over sidewalk up to 2/3 width but not more than 10 ft | — | 17.37.040.B |
| Temporary Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | 10 per lot or 1 per 10 linear feet of frontage | Not closer than 1/2 required building setbacks | — | 17.37.030(3) |
| Storage Container Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On storage container | — | 17.21.050.C |

## Prohibited signs in Belle Fourche

- Signs of a size, location, movement, coloring, or manner of illumination which may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device or which hide from view any traffic or street sign or signal are prohibited.
- Signs that create a nuisance to persons using a public right-of-way are prohibited.
- No part of any wall or projecting sign that is attached to a building shall be erected to a height greater than such building, unless the building and sign are architecturally integrated and designed as a unit.
- No sign shall be placed in any public right-of-way except publicly owned signs, such as traffic-control signs and directional signs, or projecting signs that meet the requirements in subsection 17.37.040.B.
- Flashing or intermittent illumination is prohibited in residential districts.
- General advertising signs (off-premises) are prohibited in residential districts.

## Signs exempt from permit in Belle Fourche

- On-site traffic, directional/information signs of four (4) square feet or less and less than ten (10) feet in height are exempt from obtaining a sign permit.
- Holiday or special event decorations are exempt from obtaining a sign permit.
- Wall or projecting signs of two (2) square feet or less per public entrance per business or residence are exempt from obtaining a sign permit.
- Public signs or notices or any sign relating to an emergency are exempt from obtaining a sign permit.
- Signs affixed to gas pumps, limited to one per pump island and no larger than four (4) square feet per face, are exempt from obtaining a sign permit.
- Window signs less than twenty-five (25) percent of the window area that are placed behind the surface of the window glass are exempt from obtaining a sign permit.
- Scoreboards on athletic fields are exempt from obtaining a sign permit.
- Flags of any nation or government are exempt from obtaining a sign permit.
- Gravestones are exempt from obtaining a sign permit.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required for all new signs, except those specifically exempted in 17.37.030.2.
- Application for a sign permit must be made to the Building Inspector and shall include the proposed location, dimensions, setbacks to property lines, and other pertinent information.
- When a sign permit application does not conform to the sign ordinance requirements, the property owner may apply for a variance with the Planning and Zoning Commission (see 17.37.050 and Chapter 17.28).
- Sign permits become null and void if work is not commenced within one hundred eighty (180) days or not completed within one year.
- Upon completion of sign installation, notification must be given to the Building Inspector for possible final inspection, including required electrical or footing inspections.
- Nonconforming signs lose legal nonconforming status if the structure or size is altered in any way except towards compliance with the sign code.

## 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 5 zoning districts in Belle Fourche — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Belle+Fourche+SD&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-belle-fourche

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