Sign Regulations in Springfield, IL (2026)
3 verified sign regulations for Springfield, Illinois, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Springfield's sign chapter carves outdoor political campaign signs out of its permit and design rules entirely wherever the property is zoned residential or in legal residential use. City Code Sec. 152.03 waives Chapter 152's requirements for those signs, and the zoning code's own exempt-sign list at Sec. 155.301(b)(15) repeats the same carve-out, citing the state's sign authority, 65 ILCS 5/11-13-1(12).
Springfield Political Signs Exempt on Residential Property
Few RestrictionsSpringfield, IL Code of Ordinances Sec. 152.03 (Applicability), Ord. No. 267-7-10, § 1, 7-6-10; see also Sec. 155.301(b)(15)
This Chapter 152 shall not be applicable to outdoor political campaign signs on property with a residential zoning district classification or legal residential use. 65 ILCS 5/11-13-1(12).
Garage Sale Signs
A garage sale sign in Springfield is a temporary sign under Zoning Code Sec. 155.300, and it has to fit inside the same citywide cap as every other yard sign: 16 square feet total in the R-1 and R-2 districts, posted only with the property owner's consent, and taken down within 14 days after the sale ends.
Springfield Garage Sale Signs: 16 Square Feet
Some RestrictionsSpringfield, IL Code of Ordinances Sec. 155.302(b)(1)-(2) & (d)(1)-(2) (Ord. No. 411A-07-01, § 1(Exh. A), 07-24-01; Doc. No. 2023-041, § 1(Exh. A), 11-21-23)
(b)General provisions for temporary signs in all zones.(1)Temporary signs may be posted on property in all zones of the city, subject to the following requirements and those applicable provisions stated elsewhere in the City's Code of Ordinances.(2)The total square footage for temporary signs posted on a zoning lot shall not exceed:a.Sixteen square feet in the single-family and duplex residenti...
Digital Billboards
Springfield has no separate digital-billboard ordinance: electronic message signs fall under the same billboard definition and the same citywide flashing-sign cap that governs every illuminated sign. Zoning Code Sec. 155.300(c)(7) caps flashing displays at 14 watts per bulb, and only a small time-temperature-weather sign of 16 square feet or less escapes that cap.
Springfield Billboards: Flashing Capped at 14 Watts
Significant RestrictionsSpringfield, IL Code of Ordinances Sec. 155.300(a)(8) & (c)(7) (Ord. No. 411A-07-01, § 1(Exh. A), 07-24-01; Doc. No. 2010-057, § 1(Exh. A), 9-21-10)
Billboard. A type of freestanding sign that has greater than 300 square feet of sign areas determined by this chapter. Billboards constitute a separate and distinct land use due to the size and prominence upon the landscape. A billboard is considered an "advertising sign"...(7)Flashing signs exceeding 14 watts per bulb, except illuminated signs which indicate the time, temperature or weather or...
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