# Sign Regulations in Franklin, Wisconsin

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Franklin, Wisconsin (WI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/wisconsin/franklin
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-01
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/8432590#8432590)

## At a glance

Franklin, Wisconsin regulates 5 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Wall Signs in the Nonresidential Districts zoning district are capped at 30 feet above grade tall and 40 square feet minimum per ground floor business premises, with a Not beyond the base setback line setback (Sec. § 210-4C(1)(d), § 210-4C(7)). Most commercial signs in Franklin require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nonresidential Districts | 2 | 30 feet above grade | 120 square feet | — |
| Residential Districts | 1 | — | 6 square feet | — |
| Industrial District | 2 | 35 feet above grade for automobile dealerships | 250 square feet for identification signs | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | 30 square feet | — |

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

### Nonresidential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 30 feet above grade | 40 square feet minimum per ground floor business premises | — | Not beyond the base setback line | No more than two signs per business premises | Attached to the exterior wall of a building | — | § 210-4C(1)(d), § 210-4C(7) |
| Monument Sign | 14 feet | 120 square feet | — | Not closer than 500 feet to another monument sign | One per public street frontage | Freestanding on the property | — | § 210-4C(5) |

### Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 35 feet above grade for automobile dealerships | 250 square feet for identification signs | — | Not beyond the base setback line | No more than two signs per business premises | Attached to the exterior wall of a building | — | § 210-4C(1)(e), § 210-4C(7)(e) |
| Monument Sign | 14 feet | 120 square feet | — | Not closer than 500 feet to another monument sign | One per public street frontage | Freestanding on the property | — | § 210-4C(5) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign | — | 30 square feet | — | — | — | On the premises | — | § 210-2 |
| Bulletin Board | — | 15 square feet | — | — | — | On the premises of public, charitable or religious institutions | — | § 210-2 |

## Prohibited signs in Franklin

- No billboards shall be permitted in a residential district in the City.
- No signs shall be permitted in a residential district in the City except as herein specifically provided.
- No sign or billboard shall be constructed, erected or maintained which shall be nearer to the street or highway than the established base setback line provided by the zoning regulations of the City.
- No signs, excepting official City, county or state regulatory signs, shall be erected, installed or posted on and within any public right-of-way within the corporate limits of the City.
- No sign or billboard, or any part thereof, shall be erected, constructed or maintained so as to obstruct any exit, window opening necessary for required light or ventilation or other opening of a building or so as to prevent free passage from one part of a roof to any other part thereof.
- No sign or billboard shall be attached to or erected and maintained on any premises on any standpipe, exterior stairway, fire escape, smokeproof stair, tower balcony or balcony serving as a horizontal exit or so as to interfere with the use thereof.
- No sign or other advertising structure as regulated by this chapter shall be erected at or near the intersection of any street in such manner as to obstruct free and clear vision; or at any location where, by reason of the position, shape or color, it may interfere with, obstruct the view or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device; or which makes use of the words 'Stop,' 'Look,' 'Danger' or any other word, phrase, symbol or character in such manner as to interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic.
- No person shall maintain any sign which is wholly or partially lighted by spotlights or floodlights unless such spotlights or floodlights are hooded or shielded in a manner approved by the Electrical Inspector. No person shall use any rotating or flashing spotlight or floodlight on any sign or for the purpose of illuminating or displaying of such sign.
- No person, except a public officer or a government employee in the performance of a public duty, shall maintain, place, erect, paint, paste, print, nail, tack or otherwise fasten any card banner, picture, handbill, sign, poster, advertising or notice of any kind or cause the same to be done on any curb, streetwalk or public thoroughfare surface, fence, board, barrel, box, case, railing, pole, post, bridge, tree, barricade, material, bridge fender, dock, pile, building or structure of any kind on public ground or public waterway or upon any structure projecting over any public thoroughfare, public ground or public waterway within the City except as may be permitted by this chapter or other ordinance, the Superintendent of Public Works, the Council, statutes of the state or federal laws.
- No person shall place, erect, paint, paste, print, nail, tack or otherwise fasten or maintain any 'snipe' advertising or deface any exterior wall or surface of any building, board, barrel, box, case, railing, pole, post, tree, barricade, material, dock, pile or structure of any kind with advertising or notice of any kind.
- Except as permitted by this chapter, no person shall place, erect, tack or otherwise fasten or use or maintain any outdoor advertising, such as banners, decorative displays or other advertising devices, or cloth, paper or other nonrigid materials.
- Signs placed on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers, which are parked on a public right-of-way, public property, or private property so as to be visible from a public right-of-way, where the apparent purpose is to advertise a product or direct people to a business or activity located on the same or nearby property, are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Franklin

- Up to two signs, at the same time, for each premises or tenant space, where applicable, appertaining to the lease, sale, or new or pending business or commercial occupancy of any building or land, provided that each such sign does not exceed 32 square feet in area, is located upon the premises, and, for such a sign promoting the new or pending business or commercial occupancy, is not existing prior to commencement of construction occurring under a valid building permit and is removed within 60 calendar days following occupancy, issuance of an occupancy permit, or issuance of a conditional occupancy permit, whichever occurs first.
- Signs not exceeding three square feet in size maintained by the owner or occupant of any land or any building for the purpose of displaying the name of the owner or occupant or for the purpose of warning against trespasses.
- Bulletin boards not over 15 square feet in size for public, charitable or religious institutions when the same are located on the premises of said institutions.
- Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and date of erection when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed of bronze or other incombustible materials.
- Traffic or other municipal signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signs, danger and such temporary emergency or nonadvertising signs as may be approved by the Common Council.
- Letters or numerals attached to or signs painted on glass surfaces of windows or doors.
- Signs used in connection with movable and fixed awnings.
- Nonilluminated signs painted on canopies, hoods and marquees indicating only the name, street number and character of the business of the owner, tenant or building when consisting of letters and decorations not exceeding six inches in height.
- Signs not to exceed 20 square feet, identifying farm or estate property on parcels of land containing not less than three acres.
- Flags or banners representing the United States, State of Wisconsin, County of Milwaukee, City of Franklin or other organizations approved by the Council.
- Political signs that comply with all other sections of the this chapter, provided that they be removed within 10 days after an election and they do not exceed 35 square feet in size in nonresidential districts.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The establishment of an identification program for any multitenant operation within the City, including, but not limited to, office parks, industrial parks and multitenant office and retail buildings. The intent of a master sign program is to give a uniform theme of size, color and style to signs in such a development. Each sign covered by a master sign program must be permitted separately.
- All MTCCs and planned developments, including, but not limited to, office parks, industrial parks, office centers, retail centers, office and limited-business structures, and churches and schools which have a campus, must have a master sign program if, after January 1, 2007, more than one sign will be erected in conjunction with such building, development, or center, as defined in this chapter.
- An application for a master sign program must first be filed with the Department of City Development, which shall forward it to the Plan Commission for consideration.
- Each individual sign proposed in accordance with an approved master sign program must be applied for and permitted separately in accordance with this chapter, and in no event shall any recommendation or approval of a master sign program be deemed an approval of or a permission to construct any particular sign under that program.
- The Plan Commission shall hear all requests for the establishment or amendment of a master sign program, make written findings, and approve, modify, approve with conditions, or deny such requests.

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

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