# Sign Regulations in Bear Creek, Wisconsin

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Bear Creek, Wisconsin (WI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/wisconsin/bear-creek
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/36650776#36650776)

## At a glance

Bear Creek, Wisconsin regulates 14 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Projected Signs in the Commercial District zoning district are capped at 20 feet tall and 100 square feet, with a 10 feet from all side lot lines setback (Sec. § 390-66H). Most commercial signs in Bear Creek require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 7 | 2 feet | 16 square feet | — |
| Agricultural District | 7 | 2 feet | 16 square feet | — |
| Commercial District | 6 | 20 feet | 200 square feet | — |
| Industrial District | 6 | 20 feet | 200 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | 6 square feet | — |

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

### Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Show Window or Door Sign | 2 feet | — | 10 feet | — | — | Over show windows or doors of a nonconforming business establishment | — | § 390-65A |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | — | On the premises being advertised | — | § 390-65B |
| Name, Occupation, and Warning Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | — | On the premises | — | § 390-65C |
| Bulletin Board | — | 16 square feet | — | 15 feet | — | On the premises of public, charitable, or religious institutions | — | § 390-65D |
| Memorial Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Affixed flat against a structure | — | § 390-65E |
| Official Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Various locations as required | — | § 390-65F |
| Temporary Sign or Banner | — | — | — | — | — | Various locations as authorized | — | § 390-65G |

### Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 20 feet | 200 square feet | — | — | — | In lieu of signs mounted on building facades | — | § 390-66C |
| Freestanding Identification Sign | — | 100 square feet on one face, 200 square feet on all faces | — | 20 feet | One per shopping center or industrial park | Shopping centers or industrial parks | — | § 390-66F |
| Wall Sign | 20 feet | 200 square feet | — | — | One per facade | Against the exterior walls of a building | — | § 390-66G |
| Projected Sign | 20 feet | 100 square feet | — | 10 feet from all side lot lines | — | Fastened to, suspended from, or supported by structures | — | § 390-66H |
| Window Sign | — | 25% of the glass area of the pane | — | — | — | Inside commercial buildings | — | § 390-66J |
| Directional Ground Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | — | Various locations as needed | — | § 390-66N |

### Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 20 feet | 200 square feet | — | — | — | In lieu of signs mounted on building facades | — | § 390-66C |
| Freestanding Identification Sign | — | 100 square feet on one face, 200 square feet on all faces | — | 20 feet | One per shopping center or industrial park | Shopping centers or industrial parks | — | § 390-66F |
| Wall Sign | 20 feet | 200 square feet | — | — | One per facade | Against the exterior walls of a building | — | § 390-66G |
| Projected Sign | 20 feet | 100 square feet | — | 10 feet from all side lot lines | — | Fastened to, suspended from, or supported by structures | — | § 390-66H |
| Window Sign | — | 25% of the glass area of the pane | — | — | — | Inside commercial buildings | — | § 390-66J |
| Directional Ground Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | — | Various locations as needed | — | § 390-66N |

## Prohibited signs in Bear Creek

- No sign shall be illuminated by intermittent, rotating or flashing lights in any district.
- No signs shall be placed upon, over, or in any public way except for traffic signs and signals, signs specifically permitted to project into the public way by this chapter, or any other sign so authorized by law.
- No sign shall project over any part of any street, except where a business structure is located on the front property line.
- At the termination of a business, commercial or industrial enterprise, all signs shall forthwith be removed from the public view.
- No sign shall have lighting of an intermittent or varying intensity.
- Animated signs, or signs having moving parts, or signs which may be mistaken for traffic signal devices, or which diminish the visibility or effectiveness of such traffic signal devices, are prohibited.
- Any sign so erected, constructed or maintained as to obstruct or be attached to any fire escape, window, door or opening used as means of ingress or egress, or for firefighting purposes, or placed so as to interfere with any opening required for legal ventilation is prohibited.
- No sign or advertising device shall be erected or maintained at the intersection of streets in such a manner as to obstruct clear vision of the intersection.
- No sign shall be erected above the roofline of a building or more than 30 feet from the ground.
- Signs shall not resemble, imitate, or approximate the shape, size, form, or color of railroad or traffic signs, signals, or devices.
- Signs shall not obstruct or interfere with the effectiveness of railroad or traffic signs, signals, or devices.
- 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 shall be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
- No sign shall be placed so as to obstruct or interfere with traffic visibility.

## Signs exempt from permit in Bear Creek

- Official signs, such as traffic control, parking restrictions, information, and notices.

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

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