# Sign Regulations in Manawa, Wisconsin

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Manawa, Wisconsin (WI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/wisconsin/manawa
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-01
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/9789658#9789658)

## At a glance

Manawa, Wisconsin regulates 5 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Wall Signs in the Residential District zoning district are capped at 300 square feet (Sec. § 303-72B(3), § 303-72B(4)). Most commercial signs in Manawa require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 2 | — | 300 square feet | — |
| Planned Unit Development District | 2 | — | 300 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | 300 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 300 square feet | — | — | — | On the wall of a building or structure | — | § 303-72B(3), § 303-72B(4) |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Not on right-of-way terrace | — | § 303-73A, § 303-73B |

### Planned Unit Development District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 300 square feet | — | — | — | On the wall of a building or structure | — | § 303-72B(4) |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Not on right-of-way terrace | — | § 303-73A, § 303-73B |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | — | 300 square feet | — | — | — | Independent of support from any building | — | § 303-68C, § 303-76 |
| Portable Sign | — | 25 square feet on each face | — | — | — | Not permanently attached to the ground | — | § 303-75A, § 303-75B |
| Electronic Message Unit Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On premises | — | § 303-74A, § 303-74B |

## Prohibited signs in Manawa

- Signs shall not resemble, imitate or approximate the shape, size, form or color of railroad or traffic signs or devices.
- Signs 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 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, except those giving public service information such as time, date, temperature, weather or similar information or where allowed by conditional use permit.
- No sign shall contain more than 300 square feet in gross area.
- 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 the interstate of federal aid primary highways 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 operation of a motor vehicle are prohibited.
- No sign shall be so illuminated that it interferes with the effectiveness of or obscures an official traffic sign, device or signal.
- Blanketing of signs shall not be allowed.
- Signs shall not be permitted on public rights-of-way, except for traffic control, parking and directional signs and as otherwise specified in this chapter.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No sign shall be located so as to project above the parapet line, unless approved by the Common Council, upon the recommendation of the Plan Commission.
- In the Planned Unit Development District, signs shall be permitted in accordance with the requirements of the sign regulations of the City, and such requirements as are made a part of an approved recorded precise development plan shall be, along with the recorded plan itself, construed to be and enforced as a part of this chapter.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Manawa, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Manawa+WI&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-manawa

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/wisconsin/manawa