# Sign Regulations in Cudahy, Wisconsin

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Cudahy, Wisconsin (WI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/wisconsin/cudahy
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-09
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/wi/cudahy/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH44ZO_ARTVIIISI)

## At a glance

Cudahy, Wisconsin regulates 41 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Real Estate Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall and 6 square feet in residential districts, 24 square feet in nonresidential districts, with a Minimum of five feet from front or side lot lines. setback (Sec. Sec. 44-996(1)). Most commercial signs in Cudahy require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| B-3 Central Business District | 1 | 10 feet | 160 square feet | Yes |
| Lakeside Commons Overlay District | 3 | — | 40 square feet per side | Yes |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 38 | 20 feet | 150 square feet for freestanding signs, 200 square feet for wall signs | Yes |
| Business and Manufacturing Districts - (B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, M-1, M-2) | 16 | 20 feet | 100 square feet | Yes |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Lakeside Commons Overlay District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Signs | — | 40 square feet per side | — | May not be located or extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | Only one monument sign is permitted per business site, except on corner lots where one may be permitted on each street frontage. | Street right-of-way in street yards. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(1)(b) |
| Changeable Copy Signs | — | 24 square feet per face | — | — | Limited to one per business premises. | Part of a permanent sign. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(9) |
| Electronic Reader Boards | — | 24 square feet per face | — | — | Limited to one per business premises. | Part of a permanent sign. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(9) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Signs | 6 feet | 6 square feet in residential districts, 24 square feet in nonresidential districts | — | Minimum of five feet from front or side lot lines. | Only one temporary freestanding, wall, or window sign may be placed on each street on which the development abuts. | Set back a minimum of five feet from front or side lot lines. | No | Sec. 44-996(1) |
| Permanent Real Estate Development Signs | 4 feet | 32 square feet | — | Not less than five feet from a side or rear lot line. | — | Entrance to a residential complex, subdivision, or development. | Yes | Sec. 44-997(1) |
| Signs Advertising Seasonal Products | 5 feet | 16 square feet | — | Minimum of five feet from all lot lines. | Only one sign per business site. | Set back a minimum of five feet from all lot lines. | Yes | Sec. 44-997(3) |
| Master Identification Signs | 15 feet | 150 square feet for freestanding signs, 200 square feet for wall signs | — | — | One freestanding sign per arterial street. | Multitenant retail, office, or mixed-use building or center. | Yes | Sec. 44-999(d) |
| Pole Signs | 20 feet | 80 square feet per side | — | Not located nor extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | — | Not located nor extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(1)(a) |
| Pylon Signs | 20 feet | 80 square feet per side | — | Not located nor extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | — | Not located nor extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(1)(a) |
| Projecting Signs | 10 feet | 24 square feet per face | — | Shall not extend more than four feet into any required yard. | Limited to one sign per business site. | Fastened to, suspended from, or supported by a building. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(3) |
| Blade Signs | 10 feet | 24 square feet per face | — | Shall not extend more than four feet into any required yard. | Limited to one sign per business site. | Fastened to, suspended from, or supported by a building. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(3) |

### Business and Manufacturing Districts - (B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, M-1, M-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pole Signs | 20 feet | 80 square feet per side | — | Not located nor extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | — | Not located nor extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(1)(a) |
| Pylon Signs | 20 feet | 80 square feet per side | — | Not located nor extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | — | Not located nor extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(1)(a) |
| Monument Signs | — | 40 square feet per side | — | Not located or extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | Only one monument sign is permitted per business site, except on corner lots where one may be permitted on each street frontage. | Not located or extended closer than five feet from any lot line. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(1)(b) |
| Projecting Signs | 10 feet | 24 square feet per face | — | Shall not extend more than four feet into any required yard. | Limited to one sign per business site. | Fastened to, suspended from, or supported by a building. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(3) |
| Blade Signs | 10 feet | 24 square feet per face | — | Shall not extend more than four feet into any required yard. | Limited to one sign per business site. | Fastened to, suspended from, or supported by a building. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(3) |
| Awning Signs | 15 feet | — | — | Shall not extend into a required side or rear yard. | Limited to one per business site. | Affixed to the surface of an awning. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(4) |
| Canopy Signs | 15 feet | — | — | Shall not extend into a required side or rear yard. | Limited to one per business site. | Affixed to the surface of a canopy. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(4) |
| Portable Signs | — | 8 square feet per face | — | — | Limited to one per premises or occupancy. | May be located partially or entirely on the sidewalk in the public right-of-way. | Yes | Sec. 44-998(c)(7) |

## Prohibited signs in Cudahy

- Signs shall not resemble, imitate, or approximate the shape, size, form, or color of railroad or traffic signs, signals, or devices so as to cause confusion with its official counterpart.
- Signs shall not obstruct or interfere with the effectiveness of railroad or traffic signs, signals, or devices.
- Signs shall not be erected, relocated, or maintained so as to prevent free ingress to or egress from any door, window, or fire escape, and no sign shall be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
- Signs shall not be placed so as to obstruct or interfere with traffic visibility, nor be lighted in such a way as to cause glare or impair driver visibility upon public ways.
- Bare light bulbs shall not be permitted. No flashing, blinking, or rotating lights shall be permitted for either permanent or temporary signs.
- No sign shall be permitted which moves by any means, except flags and banners.
- Distracting signs, including animated, mechanical, audible, and revolving signs, are prohibited.
- Pennants and streamers, not including banners, flags and other display effects, are prohibited.
- Vehicles or trailers used as signs are prohibited.
- Off-premises signs, including billboards, are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited unless specific conditions are met.

## Signs exempt from permit in Cudahy

- Real estate signs that advertise the sale, rental, or lease of the premises upon which the signs are temporarily located.
- Name and warning signs not to exceed two square feet located on the premises.
- Home occupation and professional home office signs not to exceed two square feet in area, to be mounted flush against the dwelling and not illuminated.
- Election campaign signs with specific conditions.
- Rummage and garage sale signs with specific conditions.
- Bulletin boards, directional or informational signs and banners for public, civic, charitable and religious institutions.
- Temporary church and school signs.
- Memorial signs and tablets and building name and erection date signs.
- Official information signs, such as traffic control, parking restrictions, information, and notices.
- Address signs.
- History preservation signs.
- Driveway ingress/egress and directional signs to identify parking lot entrances and exits, or direct customers to drive-in windows.
- Flags displaying the national flag of any country, the official flag of any state, or a flag displaying the logo of a business, industry, or recognized organization.
- Temporary window signs with specific conditions.
- Business window and door signs with specific conditions.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs, banners and displays requiring a permit shall conform to the city's adopted design guidelines and be subject to review and approval by the city's design review board, unless otherwise indicated, or where signage is proposed as a master signage plan or modification thereto, in which case the requirements of section 44-999 shall apply.
- Multiple occupancies or tenants in commercial and mixed use buildings shall be subject to a master signage plan approved by the city plan commission.
- In a multitenant retail, office, or mixed-use building or center, a master sign program shall be used if more than one sign will be erected in conjunction with such building or center.
- An application for a master sign program shall be made to the director, who shall forward it to the plan commission for review and approval.

## 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 4 zoning districts in Cudahy — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Cudahy+WI&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-cudahy

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