Sign Regulations in Madison, WI (2026)
5 verified sign regulations for Madison, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Madison bars placing political, commercial, or promotional advertising material on public property, public telephone booths, streets, alleys, public grounds, or the exterior of private property next to a street without a sign permit or the owner's permission, under Madison General Ordinances § 23.02. The ban explicitly reaches material tacked or stapled to trees.
Madison Political Sign Placement Ban
Significant RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 23.02(1)
No person, firm, corporation or organization shall place or cause to be placed in any manner any commercial, political or promotional advertising material upon any public property or public telephone booth in any street, alley or public grounds, or upon the exterior of any private property situated and fixed in or adjacent to any street, alley or public ground, unless proper sign permits, permi...
Holiday Displays
Madison's sign code treats most inflatable displays as regulated signs, but MGO § 31.046(3)(c)3 carves out an exception: inflatable noncommercial displays such as seasonal or holiday decorations on residential property aren't considered signs at all, and need no sign permit, as long as they stay temporary and don't exceed 15 feet in height.
Madison Holiday Inflatable Display Rules
Light RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 31.046(3)(c)3
(3)Inflatable Signs. Inflatable signs, other than the exceptions enumerated herein, shall be prohibited because they are generally more distracting and hazardous to pedestrian and traffic safety, tend to have an anchoring device that is less reliable under wind pressure, and out of scale and less compatible with surrounding structures and signs...(c)The following inflatable devices shall not be...
Digital Billboards
Madison allows electronic changeable copy signs, LED reader boards, digital marquees and message centers, on walls, roofs, ground and projecting signs in Group 2 and 3 zoning districts under MGO § 31.046(1). The display can't change more than once every five minutes (once per hour in Districts of Special Control), must use single-color light-on-dark copy, and scrolling or moving images are banned outright.
Madison Digital Billboard Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 31.046(1)
(1)Electronic Changeable Copy Signs. Electronic Changeable Copy Signs, as defined in Sec. 31.03(2), may be displayed on a wall, roof, above-roof, ground, projecting, or canopy sign, in Group 2 and 3 districts, and upon non-residential uses in Districts of Special Control, according to the following criteria:(a)The sign shall conform to all applicable provisions of this chapter (area, placement,...
Window Signs
Window signs in Madison's Group 2 and 3 zoning districts don't need a permit, but MGO § 31.10 caps their coverage: letters or numerals without a background can cover up to 30% of the window, while any sign with a background, logo or image is capped at 20% of the total window area.
Madison Window Sign Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 31.10
Window signs, as defined in Sec. 31.03(2), may be displayed in Group 2 and 3 districts without a permit, subject to the following restrictions:(1)Primary Window Signs.(a)Window signs consisting solely of individual alphabetic letters, numerals, or other symbolic characters without any background may be displayed but the net area shall not cover more than thirty (30) percent of the total window ...
Freeway-Facing Signs
MGO § 31.045(3)(j) bans any sign, including hand-carried signs, on a bridge or overpass over a freeway, expressway or controlled-access highway posted above 40 mph if the sign is visible from that highway, with a $100 forfeiture.
Madison Bans Signs on Freeway Overpasses
Significant RestrictionsMadison General Ordinances § 31.045(3)(j)
(j)Signs on Bridges and Overpasses. No person shall display, place, erect, post, maintain, install, affix, or carry any sign, including a hand-carried sign, on any portion of a vehicular or pedestrian bridge or overpass that passes over a freeway or expressway as defined in Wis. Stat. § 346.57, or a controlled access highway as defined in Wis. Stat. § 990.01, when such highway has a speed limit...
Looking for Dane County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Madison city rules.
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