Sign Regulations in Chicago, IL (2026)
6 verified sign regulations for Chicago, Illinois, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Political signs count as noncommercial messages and must fit the same size, height and duration limits as any temporary sign.
Chicago Political Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsChicago Zoning Ordinance § 17-12-0300
Any sign allowed under this chapter may contain any lawful noncommercial message that does not directly advertise a specific business, proprietary product or service, or any other commercial activity, so long as the sign complies with the size, height, and other requirements of this chapter.
Garage Sale Signs
Chicago confines garage-sale signage to the seller's own property and sets a hard removal deadline: every sign advertising an occasional sale must come down by 9:00 p.m. the day the sale permit expires, per Municipal Code of Chicago § 10-8-404.
Chicago Garage Sale Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsMunicipal Code of Chicago § 10-8-404
All signs advising of the occasional sale shall be confined to the premises on which the sale is conducted, and all signs advising of the sale shall be removed no later than 9:00 p.m. on the day the permit expires.
Holiday Displays
Chicago's zoning code exempts holiday decorations with no commercial message from all sign regulations, meaning no permit, size cap, or removal deadline applies under the city's Title 17 sign rules.
Chicago Holiday Decorations Exempt From Sign Rules
Few RestrictionsChicago Municipal Code § 17-12-0505 (Ch. 17-12, Signs exempt from zoning regulation)
17-12-0500 Signs exempt from zoning regulation. The following are exempt from regulation under this Zoning Ordinance. ... 17-12-0504 Works of art with no commercial message; 17-12-0505 Holiday decorations with no commercial message; and 17-12-0506 Any city digital sign...
Digital Billboards
Off-premise digital billboards must stand at least 125 feet from any residential district: tighter than the 100-foot buffer required for ordinary static billboards under Chicago's zoning code.
Chicago Digital Billboard Home Setbacks
Significant RestrictionsChicago Zoning Ordinance § 17-12-1006-A
Off-premise signs with a sign face area of more than 100 square feet are prohibited within 250 feet of any residential district. Off-premise signs are prohibited entirely within 100 feet of any residential district; except off-premises dynamic image display signs are prohibited entirely within 125 feet of any residential district.
Window Signs
Chicago caps temporary paper, vinyl, or cling window signs at 25% of a window's glazing area, with no permit needed below that line.
Chicago Window Sign Coverage Limit
Some RestrictionsMunicipal Code of Chicago § 13-20-550(d)
an on-premise sign that is: (1) constructed wholly from paper, fabric, vinyl, or similar materials and attached to a window for no more than 60 days; or (2) painted directly onto the window or made of plastic film or similar material and fully adhered to the window by means of adhesive or static cling for any duration provided that the total area of all such signs in a single window does not ex...
Freeway-Facing Signs
Off-premise signs (billboards) are banned within 500 feet of any designated expressway or toll road right-of-way, plus Lake Shore Drive and part of Michigan Avenue.
Chicago Bans Billboards Near Expressways
Significant RestrictionsMunicipal Code of Chicago § 17-12-1006-F
Off-premise signs are prohibited within 500 feet of the following street and road rights-of-way: (a) Lake Shore Drive; (b) any designated expressway or toll road; (c) Michigan Avenue, between Oak Street on the north and Roosevelt Road on the south.
Looking for Cook County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Chicago city rules.
Sign Regulations in Cook County →