Sign Regulations in Grand Rapids, MI (2026)
4 verified sign regulations for Grand Rapids, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Holiday Displays
Grand Rapids allows seasonal string lighting on homes and buildings without a Director Review permit, but only inside a set window: up to 60 days before the holiday and removed within 20 days after.
Grand Rapids Sets Holiday Light Display Window
Some RestrictionsGrand Rapids City Code § 5.2.19.E.3
Notwithstanding, seasonal lighting displays, including string lighting, may be allowed without Director Review in conjunction with a nationally recognized holiday provided such displays are strung no sooner than sixty (60) days before the holiday and shall be removed within twenty (20) days following the holiday.
Digital Billboards
Grand Rapids caps digital billboard conversions in its freeway Upgrade Eligibility Zone at 10 faces citywide, split between the I-96/I-196 and US-131 corridors.
Grand Rapids Digital Billboard Conversion Limits
Significant RestrictionsGrand Rapids City Code § 5.15.03.I.3.d.iii
No more than ten (10) sign faces can be converted to a digital billboard face within the Upgrade Eligibility Zone. Up to four (4) digital billboard faces, with two (2) facing each direction (E/W) may be installed along the I-96/I-196 corridor. Up to six (6) digital billboard faces, with three (3) facing each direction (N/S) may be installed along the US-131 corridor.
Window Signs
Grand Rapids limits painted, stenciled, or applied window signs to no more than 25 percent of the window, door, or transparent surface area, citywide, in every zone district.
Grand Rapids Caps Window Signs at 25%
Some RestrictionsGrand Rapids City Code § 5.15.07.H.1
Any painted, stenciled, or applied signs on windows, doors, or other transparent surfaces, regardless of material, shall not cover more than twenty-five (25) percent of the window, door, or other transparent surface.
Freeway-Facing Signs
Grand Rapids designates an Upgrade Eligibility Zone for off-premises signs aimed at drivers on I-196, I-96, and US-131, letting owners earn credits toward limited upgrades.
Grand Rapids Freeway-Facing Billboard Program
Significant RestrictionsGrand Rapids City Code § 5.15.03.I.3.a
The Upgrade Eligibility Zone consists of existing off-premises signs and support structures in any Zone District that are oriented so that motorists traveling on I-196, I-96, or US-131 are the intended audience. All off-premises signs and support structures included in the Upgrade Eligibility Zone are listed in the current Upgrade Eligibility Zone Table maintained and kept current by the Planni...
Looking for Kent County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Grand Rapids city rules.
Sign Regulations in Kent County →