Sign Regulations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota has specific sign regulations covering 47 sign types across 29 zoning districts. Regulated sign types include Exempt Sign - Integral sign (up to 3 sq ft), General: Illumination limitations (including electronic message signs), Exempt Sign - Home occupation (one-square-foot wall sign). Height restrictions apply. Permits are required for most commercial signs. Use PermitPal to get instant access to the complete regulations.
Data last verified: May 26, 2026
Sign Regulation Overview for Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sample Sign Requirements in Sioux Falls
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Setback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall Sign - One square foot per dwelling unit | — | 1 sq ft per dwelling unit | Not stated for residential wall signs. |
| Identification Sign - Public institution (allowed identification signage) | 8 feet | 48 square feet | Not stated in provided excerpt; must comply with vision clearance and public-way restrictions. |
| Exempt Sign - Integral sign (up to 3 sq ft) | — | 3 square feet | — |
* Sample data shown. Actual requirements may vary by zone. Use PermitPal for complete, location-specific regulations.
PermitPal Coverage for Sioux FallsFull Coverage
Sign Types Covered
47
- Exempt Sign - Integral sign (up to 3 sq ft)
- General: Illumination limitations (including electronic message signs)
- Exempt Sign - Home occupation (one-square-foot wall sign)
- Wall Sign - One square foot per dwelling unit
- +2 more types
Zoning Districts
29
Different zoning districts with specific sign regulations
Data Includes
- Permit requirements
- Height restrictions
- Illumination rules
Official Resources for Sioux Falls
Other Cities in South Dakota
Frequently Asked Questions
Sign height limits in Sioux Falls vary by zone and sign type. Wall signs typically range from 25-40 feet, while monument signs are usually limited to 6-10 feet. Use PermitPal to get exact requirements for your property.
To get a sign permit in Sioux Falls, submit an application to the local building or planning department with sign dimensions, location, and design specifications. Our data confirms permits are required for most commercial signs. Processing typically takes 1-4 weeks. PermitPal helps you identify specific requirements and prepare complete applications.
In Sioux Falls, regulated sign types include Exempt Sign - Integral sign (up to 3 sq ft), General: Illumination limitations (including electronic message signs), Exempt Sign - Home occupation (one-square-foot wall sign), Wall Sign - One square foot per dwelling unit, and 2 more types. Most commercial signs require permits. Temporary signs and certain small signs may be exempt. Use PermitPal for specific exemptions.
Sign setback requirements in Sioux Falls vary by zone and sign type, typically ranging from 5-15 feet from property lines. Use PermitPal for specific setback requirements at your location.
Digital and LED signs in Sioux Falls are regulated with specific requirements for brightness, animation, and message duration. Sioux Falls has documented illumination rules in our database. Use PermitPal to see the exact requirements for electronic message centers.
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Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sign Rules at a Glance
Sioux Falls, South Dakota regulates 47 sign types across 29 zoning districts. Roof Sign - Maximum 32 square feets in the I-1 (I-1) zoning district are capped at 5 feet above top of parapet or roof tall and 32 square feet, with a Not stated. setback (Sec. § 160.572(7)(A)(1)(b)(ii)). Most commercial signs in Sioux Falls require a permit.
Detailed Sign Ordinance Requirements for Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sign Rules by Zoning District in Sioux Falls (29 zones)
| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RR (RR) | 6 | 8 feet | 48 square feet | — |
| RS (RS) | 5 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| RT-1 (RT-1) | 5 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| RCD (RCD) | 5 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| RHP (RHP) | 5 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| MH (MH) | 5 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| RD-1 (RD-1) | 5 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| RD-2 (RD-2) | 5 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| RT-2 (RT-2) | 5 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| RA-1 (RA-1) | 7 | 8 feet | 48 square feet | — |
| RA-2 (RA-2) | 7 | 8 feet | 48 square feet | — |
| RA-3 (RA-3) | 3 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| O (O) | 8 | 10 feet (nonresidential tract) or 8 feet (residential tract/public institution) | 100 square feet (nonresidential) or 48 square feet (public institution or residential tract) | — |
| S-1 (S-1) | 3 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| S-2 (S-2) | 3 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| LW (LW) | 8 | 18 feet (all listed frontage categories in WM table) | 100 square feet (nonresidential) or 48 square feet (public institution) | — |
| C-1 (C-1) | 7 | 10 ft (nonresidential) / 30 ft (joint tenant) / 8 ft (public institution/residential tract) | 100 sq ft (nonresidential tract) / 200 sq ft (joint tenant) / 48 sq ft (public institution/residential tract) | — |
| C-2 (C-2) | 7 | 20-30 feet depending on frontage (per table) | 100 sq ft (nonresidential) / 200 sq ft (joint tenant) / 48 sq ft (public institution/residential tract) | — |
| C-3 (C-3) | 7 | 20-30 feet depending on frontage (per table) | 100 square feet (nonresidential) / 200 square feet (joint tenant) / 48 square feet (public institution/residential tract) | — |
| C-4 (C-4) | 3 | 30 feet | 200 square feet | — |
| I-1 (I-1) | 8 | 18 feet | Per § 160.575 limits | — |
| I-2 (I-2) | 9 | 40 feet (maximum) | 288 square feet (maximum) | — |
| AP (AP) | 2 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| CN (CN) | 9 | 8 feet | 60 square feet | — |
| REC (REC) | 4 | — | 100 square feet | — |
| AG (AG) | 3 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| VPUD (VPUD) | 3 | 30 feet | 200 square feet | — |
| POPUD (POPUD) | 3 | 30 feet | 200 square feet | — |
| DTPUD (DTPUD) | 3 | 30 feet | 200 square feet | — |
Zone-by-Zone Sign Requirements in Sioux Falls(sample of 3 of 29 zones)
I-1 (I-1)
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Premium Details(Illumination, Size Formula, Permit Requirements, Additional Requirements — available with a free PermitPal account) | Ordinance Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wall Sign - One square foot per three lineal feet of street frontage | — | 1 sq ft per 3 linear feet of street frontage; additional frontages: 1 sq ft per 4 linear feet | — | Not stated. | Not stated. | On-premises; wall-mounted. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(1)(a) |
| Roof Sign - Maximum 32 square feet | 5 feet above top of parapet or roof | 32 square feet | — | Not stated. | Not stated. | Roof-mounted; shall rise no higher than 5 ft above top of parapet or roof. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(1)(b)(ii) |
| Freestanding Sign - Up to 37 sq ft / 18 ft height (street frontage 1–100 ft) | 18 feet | 37 sq ft (for 1–100 ft frontage); 55 sq ft (101–150 ft); 92 sq ft (151–200 ft); 107 sq ft (201–300 ft); 115 sq ft (300+ ft) | — | Not in intersection vision clearance area (§ 160.517) or driveway vision clearance area (§ 160.518). | One per street frontage (two allowed on frontages ≥ 264 ft). | Front or side yard; not in vision clearance areas (§ 160.517, § 160.518); not to rotate. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(2)(a)–(f) |
| Portable Sign (temporary/nonpermanent) - Up to 32 square feet | — | 32 square feet | — | Not stated. | Not stated. | Per § 160.573 requirements. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(3)(a); § 160.573(b)(1)A |
| Banner (temporary/nonpermanent) | — | Permit required if total banner area at business location exceeds 100 sq ft. | — | Not stated. | — | Per § 160.574 requirements. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(3)(b); § 160.574(a) |
| Identification Sign - Nonresidential tract / Public institution | — | Per § 160.575 limits | — | Not stated. | — | Per § 160.575 requirements. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(4); § 160.575(b)-(c) |
| Exempt Sign - Integral sign (up to 3 sq ft) | — | 3 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | Unlock | § 160.576(a) |
| General: Illumination limitations (including electronic message signs) | — | — | — | — | — | Applies to illuminated signs. | — | Unlock | § 160.577(a) and § 160.577(b)(1)-(6) |
I-2 (I-2)
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Premium Details(Illumination, Size Formula, Permit Requirements, Additional Requirements — available with a free PermitPal account) | Ordinance Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wall Sign - One square foot per three lineal feet of street frontage | — | 1 sq ft per 3 linear feet of street frontage; additional frontages: 1 sq ft per 4 linear feet | — | Not stated. | Not stated. | On-premises; wall-mounted. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(1)(a) |
| Roof Sign - Maximum 32 square feet | 5 feet above top of parapet or roof | 32 square feet | — | Not stated. | Not stated. | Roof-mounted; shall rise no higher than 5 ft above top of parapet or roof. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(1)(b)(ii) |
| Freestanding Sign - Up to 37 sq ft / 18 ft height (street frontage 1–100 ft) | 18 feet | 37 sq ft (for 1–100 ft frontage); 55 sq ft (101–150 ft); 92 sq ft (151–200 ft); 107 sq ft (201–300 ft); 115 sq ft (300+ ft) | — | Not in intersection vision clearance area (§ 160.517) or driveway vision clearance area (§ 160.518). | One per street frontage (two allowed on frontages ≥ 264 ft). | Front or side yard; not in vision clearance areas (§ 160.517, § 160.518); not to rotate. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(2)(a)–(f) |
| Portable Sign (temporary/nonpermanent) - Up to 32 square feet | — | 32 square feet | — | Not stated. | Not stated. | Per § 160.573 requirements. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(3)(a); § 160.573(b)(1)A |
| Banner (temporary/nonpermanent) | — | Permit required if total banner area at business location exceeds 100 sq ft. | — | Not stated. | — | Per § 160.574 requirements. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(3)(b); § 160.574(a) |
| Identification Sign - Nonresidential tract / Public institution | — | Per § 160.575 limits | — | Not stated. | — | Per § 160.575 requirements. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(7)(A)(4); § 160.575(b)-(c) |
| Off-premises (Billboard) sign - Base standards (RE/WM/Open forms referenced in § 160.591) | 40 feet (maximum) | 288 square feet (maximum) | — | Minimum setback of 10 feet from any part of sign; cannot overlap required side/rear setbacks or buffer yard. | No explicit per-property quantity in excerpt; constrained by 600-foot separation and corridor cap of 21 in Interstate 229 right-of-way primarily read signs. | Subject to off-premises regulations; no additional location stated in excerpt besides setback/buffer/overlap prohibitions. | — | Unlock | § 160.591(a)-(n) and § 160.592; § 160.591(j)-(l) |
| Exempt Sign - Integral sign (up to 3 sq ft) | — | 3 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | Unlock | § 160.576(a) |
CN (CN)
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Premium Details(Illumination, Size Formula, Permit Requirements, Additional Requirements — available with a free PermitPal account) | Ordinance Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wall Sign - One square foot per two lineal feet of building frontage (building sign) | — | 1 sq ft per 2 linear feet of building frontage | — | — | — | Building sign (wall) implied by provided form excerpt. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(1)(A)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign - Up to 40 sq ft / 8 ft height (street frontage 100 ft or less) | 8 feet | 40 square feet | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Front or side yard only. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(1)(A)(2)(a)–(b); § 155.001 |
| Freestanding Sign - Up to 60 sq ft / 8 ft height (street frontage exceeding 101 ft) | 8 feet | 60 square feet | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Front or side yard only. | — | Unlock | § 160.572(1)(A)(2)(a)–(b) |
| Portable Sign (temporary/nonpermanent) | — | 32 square feet | — | — | — | Comply with intersection vision clearance and § 155.001. | — | Unlock | § 160.573(b)(1)A.1–4 and § 160.573(a)(2) |
| Banner (temporary/nonpermanent) | — | — | — | — | — | Attached to freestanding signs, building walls, parking lot lights, or streetlights in RE6 form per excerpt; forms allowed listed in banner rule include Open Space UT and others. | — | Unlock | § 160.574(a)(1) and § 160.574(1)A.1–5 |
| Identification Sign - Public institution (when permitted by form) | 8 feet | 48 square feet | — | — | Two per institution | Comply with § 160.575(c) conditions; also must comply with § 160.577 illumination. | — | Unlock | § 160.575(c)(1)-(2) |
| Exempt Sign - Integral sign (up to 3 sq ft) | — | 3 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | Unlock | § 160.576(a) |
| Exempt Sign - Home occupation (one-square-foot wall sign) | — | 1 square foot | — | — | — | Wall. | — | Unlock | § 160.576(f) |
PermitPal covers all 29 zoning districts in Sioux Falls — full sign requirements for every zone, plus illumination rules, size formulas, and permit requirements for every sign type — with a free account.
See all 29 zones for Sioux Falls — start freeProhibited Signs in Sioux Falls
- No sign or supporting structure shall be located upon or over any portion of the dedicated right-of-way of any public street, alley, or thoroughfare, except as otherwise authorized in § 160.573 et seq.
- No person shall engage in the activity or business of sign or outdoor advertising in the city by erecting, maintaining, leasing or providing to others ground signs, roof signs, wall signs, projecting signs, marquee signs, portable signs, or changeable signs without first having procured a license from the city council to conduct that activity or business.
- Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to erect, alter, relocate or maintain within the city any sign without first obtaining an erection permit from the department of planning and building services and making payment of the required fee.
- It is prohibited to tacking, pasting, or otherwise affixing signs of a miscellaneous character, visible from a public way, located on walls of buildings, barns, sheds, trees, poles, posts, fences, or other structures; such signs must be removed upon notice.
- Painted wall signs are prohibited, except existing signs may remain if maintained; signs that are not maintained must be removed or renovated within 60 days upon notice.
- No person shall park any vehicle or trailer on a public right-of-way, or public property, or on private property so as to be visible from a public right-of-way, which has attached thereto or located thereon any sign or advertising device for the basic purpose of providing advertisement of products or directing people to a business or activity located on the same premises or any other premises (this does not prohibit vehicular signage such as a sign attached to a bus or lettering on a motor vehicle).
- Nuisance signs are prohibited: signs that imitate an official traffic sign or signal or that are of a size, location, movement, content, coloring, or manner of illumination that may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device or that hide from view any traffic, street sign, or signal; and signs that create safety/health issues to the public (including confusing/distracting motorists or impairing the driver’s ability to see pedestrians/obstacles/other vehicles) or health concerns by brightness, size, height, or movement.
Exempt Signs in Sioux Falls
- Exempt signs (under § 160.576) may be allowed in addition to the signs permitted in § 160.572; exempt signs do not require the issuance of a sign permit, but must comply with all other state laws and local ordinances.
- Integral signs (up to 3 square feet in area) are exempt.
- Pennants (max 1 square foot per pennant; permitted up to 60 days per calendar year at any one business location) are exempt.
- Private traffic direction signs (one 9-square-foot sign, 6 feet in height at each vehicular entrance; plus interior traffic directional signs as specified) are exempt.
- Public signs: noncommercial signs in the public interest erected by/on order of a public officer, with additional limits for property-owner-posted noncommercial signs (limited to 6 square feet) are exempt.
- Public utility signs: signs attached to public utility equipment not exceeding 6 square feet total area (provided they do not materially obstruct vision at any street intersection) are exempt.
- Home occupations: a one-square-foot wall sign is exempt.
- Signs in parks: signs on parks property (Open 1, Open 2) are exempt (not exceeding a total of 100 square feet).
- Noncommercial yard signs are exempt subject to stated area/height limits and display time limits (by residential vs nonresidential parcels), and must be outside the public right-of-way.
- Commercial yard signs are exempt subject to stated area/height limits by parcel type, permitted mounting methods, legibility/secure against overturning requirements, removal upon completion, and allowed display timing window.
- Construction fencing screening: for new construction/remodeling/other modifications with no occupancy and construction fencing provided, screening attached to the fence may bear project images and related commercial messages, subject to stated area limitations.
Sign Permit Fees & Timelines in Sioux Falls
| Item | Details | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| All sign permits | the fees specified therefor shall be doubled | — |
| Other | as soon as practicable | — |
| See all Sioux Falls sign permit fees & timelines — start free | ||
Source: amlegal municipal code