# Sign Regulations in Athens, Wisconsin

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Athens, Wisconsin (WI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/wisconsin/athens
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/30135503#30135503)

## At a glance

Athens, Wisconsin regulates 22 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the B-2 Highway Commercial District zoning district are capped at 20 feet tall and 120 square feet on each side (Sec. § 480-59D(4).).

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 16 | 10 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| B-1 General Commercial District | 3 | 20 feet | 40 square feet on each side | — |
| B-2 Highway Commercial District | 4 | 30 feet | 120 square feet on each side | — |
| B-3 Business Park District | 3 | 30 feet | 160 square feet on each side | — |
| I-1 Industrial District | 3 | 30 feet | 160 square feet on each side | — |
| R-5 District | 3 | — | 20 square feet | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bulletin Board | — | 32 square feet | — | — | One per street frontage | On site for public, charitable or religious institutions | — | § 480-57A. |
| Occupant Sign | — | 3 square feet | — | — | One per street front | One per street front | — | § 480-57E. |
| Traffic and Service Sign | 10 feet | 12 square feet per face | — | — | — | Privately owned and on private premises | — | § 480-57H. |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 7 square feet for residential, 32 square feet for nonresidential | — | — | One per street frontage | On the offered property | — | § 480-57J. |
| On-premises Temporary and Portable Sign | — | 20 square feet | — | — | — | Residential districts | — | § 480-57M. |
| Civic Event Temporary Sign | — | 4 square feet in residential or public lands districts, 32 square feet in B-1, B-2, B-3, I-1 Districts | — | — | — | Pertaining to drives or events of civic, philanthropic, educational, religious, or nonprofit organizations | — | § 480-57N. |
| Political Sign | — | 16 square feet | — | — | One per premises per candidate or referenda question | One per premises per candidate or referenda question | — | § 480-57O. |
| Rummage/Garage Sale Sign | — | 8 square feet | — | — | — | Within street right-of-way lines between private property line and pavement edge | — | § 480-57P. |

### B-2 Highway Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 20 feet | — | — | — | — | Exterior walls of buildings | — | § 480-59D(2). |
| Ground Sign | 20 feet | 120 square feet on each side | — | — | One per street frontage | May be located up to a public right-of-way | — | § 480-59D(4). |
| Pylon Sign | 30 feet | 100 square feet for one side or 200 feet for all sides | — | — | One per street frontage | Completely within the property | — | § 480-59D(5). |
| Sandwich Sign | 4 feet | 8 square feet per side | — | — | One per business tenant | Placed in a manner so as not to present a hazard | — | § 480-60D. |

### R-5 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign | — | 20 square feet | — | Not within five feet of any exterior property line | One per principal entrance | At each principal entrance | — | § 480-118A. |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | Not within five feet of any exterior property line | One per principal entrance | At each principal entrance | — | § 480-118B. |
| Temporary Sign | — | 20 square feet | — | Not within five feet of any exterior property line | One per principal entrance | At each principal entrance | — | § 480-118C. |

## Prohibited signs in Athens

- Signs shall not resemble, imitate or approximate the shape, size, form or color of railroad or traffic signs or devices.
- Signs, canopies and awnings shall not obstruct or interfere with the effectiveness of railroad or traffic signs, signals or devices or the safe flow of traffic.
- No sign shall be erected, relocated or maintained so as to prevent free ingress to or egress from any door, window or fire escape.
- No sign, awning or canopy shall be placed so as to obstruct or interfere with traffic visibility.
- No sign shall be erected which has any flashing, rotating or brilliant intermittent parts or lights, or bare reflecting-type bulbs, or utilizes a spot or beacon light to illuminate a sign, except those giving public service information such as time, date, temperature, weather or similar information.
- No signs, billboards or other advertising media which create a hazard or dangerous distraction to vehicular traffic or a nuisance to adjoining residential property shall be permitted in any district.
- Signs shall not be permitted on public rights-of-way, except for municipal traffic control, parking and directional signs and as otherwise specified in this article.
- No new billboards shall be permitted in the Village of Athens after the original effective date of this article.
- Painted wall signs are prohibited in the Village of Athens.
- No person shall paste or otherwise fasten any paper or other material, paint, stencil or write any number, sign, name or any disfiguring mark within any street right-of-way, on any sidewalk, curb, gutter, street, post, fire hydrant, pole or tree, any other sign, building, fence or other structure, nor shall any of said objects be defaced in any manner.
- No signage shall be used except those types specifically permitted by this article.
- Signs which bear or contain statements, words, pictures, or symbols of obscene, pornographic or immoral subjects are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited in the Village of Athens.
- Swinging signs are prohibited.
- Third party signs and billboards are prohibited, except as provided in § 380-59D(6).
- No persons shall park any vehicle or trailer on a public right-of-way or on private property so as to be seen from a public right-of-way which has attached thereto or located thereon any sign or advertising device for the basic purposes of providing advertisement of products or directing people to a business activity located on the same or nearby property or any other premises.
- Signs which are not effectively shielded so as to prevent beams or rays of light from being directed at any portion of the traveled ways of a public right-of-way and which are of such intensity or brilliance as to cause glare or to impair the vision of the driver of any motor vehicle, or which otherwise interfere with any driver's operations of a motor vehicle, are prohibited.
- Signs which are not effectively shielded as to prevent beams or rays of light from being directed at any residential property, and which are of such intensity or brilliance as to cause a public nuisance, are prohibited.
- No sign shall be so floodlighted or illuminated that it interferes with the effectiveness of or obscures an official traffic sign, device, or signal.

## Signs exempt from permit in Athens

- Bulletin boards for public, charitable or religious institutions located on site.
- Government signs for control of traffic and other regulatory purposes, danger signs, railroad crossing signs, and signs of public utilities indicating danger, and aids to service or safety which are erected by or on the order of a public officer in the performance of his/her public duty.
- Interior signs located within the interior of any building or structure which are not visible from the public right-of-way.
- Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and date of erection when cut into any masonry surface or inlaid so as to be part of the building.
- Occupant signs limited in content to name of occupant, address of premises, and signs of danger.
- Official governmental notices and notices posted by governmental officers in the performance of their duties; governmental signs to control traffic or for other regulatory purposes or to identify streets or to warn of danger.
- Temporary or permanent signs erected by public utility companies or construction companies to warn of dangerous or hazardous conditions.
- Traffic and parking signs and devices privately owned and on private premises and containing messages such as 'exit only,' 'restricted for ____,' and the like, the sole purpose of which is to direct and control traffic on the premises.
- Signs required by law, statute or ordinance, constructed and maintained according to the law, statute or ordinance under which the sign was erected.
- Real estate signs advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises upon which it is located.
- Signs in the display window of a business which relate to services or products offered therein in specific zoning districts.
- Religious symbols, commemorative plaques of recognized historic agencies, or identification emblems of religious orders or historical agencies.
- Temporary or portable signs under 20 square feet for the purpose of an on-site open house, model home demonstration, or special event such as a birthday or anniversary.
- Temporary off-premises signs pertaining to drives or events of civic, philanthropic, educational, religious, or nonprofit organizations.
- Political message, public election or referenda signs during an election campaign.
- Rummage or garage sale signs not to exceed eight square feet in area.
- Illuminated and nonilluminated signs not exceeding 10 square feet in area announcing that a business is open or closed.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- If the sign is larger than six square feet, the sign shall be reviewed by the Plan Commission, except those signs designated in § 480-60.
- The Plan Commission shall review all applications within 30 days of submittal.
- The Plan Commission shall review the applications and apply the established sign design review guidelines prescribed in Subsections D and E.
- Variances or exceptions to these sign regulations may be granted by the Board of Appeals following a recommendation from the Zoning Administrator, pursuant to the procedures of the Village Zoning 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 6 zoning districts in Athens — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Athens+WI&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-athens

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