# Sign Regulations in Port Washington, Wisconsin

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Port Washington, Wisconsin (WI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/wisconsin/port-washington
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-01
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/30084058#30084058)

## At a glance

Port Washington, Wisconsin regulates 21 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Seasonal Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 5 feet tall and 16 square feet, with a Minimum of five feet from all lot lines setback (Sec. § 485-123M). Most commercial signs in Port Washington require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 15 | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Business Zoning Districts | 1 | 48 inches | 24 inches in width and 48 inches in height | — |
| CCM Central City Mixed Zoning District | 1 | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| B-4 Central Business Zoning District | 1 | 5 feet | 40 square feet | — |
| B-1 Office | 1 | 6 feet | 12 square feet per face | — |
| B-2 Local Service Center Business | 1 | 6 feet | 12 square feet per face | — |
| B-3 General Business | 1 | 6 feet | 12 square feet per face | — |
| PUL Public and Utility Lands | 1 | 6 feet | 12 square feet per face | — |
| RS-4 Single Family Detached Residence Zoning District | 1 | 6 feet | 10 square feet per face | — |
| Institutional and Park Zoning Districts | 2 | — | — | — |

_1 additional zoning district is covered in PermitPal (free account)._

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 11 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directional Sign | 4 feet | 3 square feet | — | — | — | Parking lot contiguous to the business | — | § 485-123B(1) |
| Political Message and Election Campaign Sign | — | 11 square feet | — | Subject to vision setback regulations for rights-of-way | One per candidate or referendum question | Residential property owned or occupied by an individual | — | § 485-123C |
| Home Occupation Sign | — | 3 square feet | — | — | One | Mounted flush against the dwelling | — | § 485-123E |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential) | — | 8 square feet | — | Minimum of five feet from front or side lot lines | One per street frontage | On premises of the property for sale or lease | — | § 485-123J(1) |
| Real Estate Sign (Industrial or Agricultural) | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — | Minimum of five feet from front or side lot lines | — | On premises of the property for sale or lease | — | § 485-123J(2) |
| Real Estate Sign (Business) | — | 12 square feet | — | Minimum of five feet from front or side lot lines | — | On premises of the property for sale or lease | — | § 485-123J(3) |
| Residential Nameplate | — | 2 square feet | — | — | Two | Identifying the owners or occupants | — | § 485-123K |
| Seasonal Sign | 5 feet | 16 square feet | — | Minimum of five feet from all lot lines | One | Advertising the sale of seasonal products | — | § 485-123M |

### Business Zoning Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 48 inches | 24 inches in width and 48 inches in height | 24 inches | — | One | In front of the main entrance to the business | — | § 485-123L |

### B-1 Office

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Electronic Message Center | 6 feet | 12 square feet per face | — | — | One per parcel | Part of a permanent monument sign | — | § 485-125E |

## Prohibited signs in Port Washington

- Abandoned signs.
- Any sign other than public agency signs located in the public rights-of-way or on publicly owned lands, unless otherwise specified in this article.
- Banners, pennants, streamers, balloons, and other gas-filled figures, except as permitted for special events or promotions.
- Flashing or rotating signs, crawl signs, signs containing moving parts, and signs containing reflective elements which sparkle or twinkle in the sunlight.
- Hazard or nuisance signs. Any sign that creates a hazard or dangerous distraction to pedestrians or traffic or a nuisance to adjacent property.
- Interior lit box signs.
- Non-accessory signs. No sign not directly related to the use of the premises on which it is located, except directional signs, shall be permitted in any zoning district.
- Portable and wheeled signs, except as permitted for special events or promotions.
- Roof signs.
- Signs placed on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers which are parked on public rights-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 service or direct people to a business or activity.
- Signs attached or otherwise affixed to rocks, trees, or other vegetation.
- Signs or other advertising painted directly on walls, unless specifically approved by the Plan Commission.
- Outdoor advertising devices such as banners, decorative displays or other advertising devices of cloth, paper, or other non-rigid materials, unless otherwise permitted in this article.
- Signs which bear, contain or depict statements, letters, words, symbols, drawings or pictures of obscene, pornographic or immoral subjects.
- Signs which imitate, or resemble in shape, size, copy or color, an official traffic control sign or signal.

## Signs exempt from permit in Port Washington

- Bulletin boards for a charitable, religious or educational institution, or a public agency, not exceeding 20 square feet in area.
- Directional signs.
- Political message and election campaign signs.
- Flags displaying a national flag, an official flag of the state and/or a flag displaying the logo of a business or industry located on the same premises.
- Home occupation signs and professional office signs shall not exceed three square feet in area, shall be mounted flush against the dwelling, may not be illuminated and are limited to one such sign.
- Memorial signs, plaques and tablets containing names of buildings and/or date of erection when cut into a masonry surface or inlaid so as to be part of building or when constructed of bronze or other nonconvertible material and affixed flat against a structure.
- Murals or other artwork determined by the Plan Commission, upon referral by the Building Inspector, not to be signs shall be exempt from this article.
- Operational signs and other such signs relating to functional use of the building or premises shall be permitted.
- Public agency signs erected by national, state, county or municipal governmental agencies, including traffic and informational signs.
- Real estate signs that advertise the sale or lease of the premises upon which such signs are temporarily located.
- Residential nameplates identifying the owners or occupants, provided that no more than two such signs are erected, each being less than two square feet in area.
- Sandwich board signs are permitted in all business zoning districts.
- Seasonal signs advertising the sale of seasonal products, including Christmas trees and pumpkins.
- Temporary signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The Plan Commission may grant a special exception to the setback, offset, height, size, landscaping, and permitted sign requirements.
- A master sign program shall be used if more than one sign will be erected in conjunction with a multi-tenant retail, office or mixed-use building or center.
- Application for approval of a master sign program for new multi-tenant buildings or centers shall be submitted to and approved by the Plan Commission before sign permits may be issued.

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

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