Sign Regulations in Troy, MI (2026)
5 verified sign regulations for Troy, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Garage Sale Signs
Troy lets garage-sale and other short-term signs go up without a permit, but only under Sec. 85.03.02's limits: 14 square feet total per site, 6 square feet per sign, a 42-inch height cap, a 20-foot setback from the road, and removal within 60 days of placement.
Troy Yard Sale and Temporary Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsTroy City Code § 85.03.02 (Temporary Signs)
A. Temporary signs as defined in Section 85.01.03 are allowed without a permit subject to the following: 1. Size of Temporary Signs: The total aggregate sign area of all temporary signs on any one site shall not exceed fourteen (14) square feet. The maximum size of individual temporary signs shall not exceed six square feet in area. Temporary signs shall not be higher than forty-two (42) inches...
Holiday Displays
Troy's outdoor lighting curfew, foot-candle caps and shielding rules do not apply to holiday decorations. Section 13.05.H.3 of the Zoning Ordinance lists holiday decorations among six categories exempt from Section 13.05's lighting standards, so seasonal displays can stay lit past the 11:00 p.m. cutoff that governs other exterior lighting citywide.
Troy Exempts Holiday Lights From Curfew
Few RestrictionsTroy, MI Zoning Ordinance (Ch. 39) § 13.05.H.3
H. Exemptions. The following are exempt from the lighting requirements of this Section, except that the Zoning Administrator may require a lighting and photometric plan when deemed necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare. 1. Sports fields. 2. Swimming pools serving the public or private club members. 3. Holiday decorations. 4. Three (3) foot high, shielded pedestrian walkway ...
Digital Billboards
Troy allows electronic message signs, digital billboards, only as a ground sign, capped at 50 square feet and limited to one per premise. Sec. 85.03.06 also bans scrolling or flashing, requires each message to hold for at least a minute, and caps brightness at 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light.
Troy Electronic Message Sign Standards
Some RestrictionsTroy City Code § 85.03.06 (Electronic Message Signs)
A. Where Permitted: 1. Electronic Message Signs (EMS) shall be permitted solely as a ground sign subject to the requirements of the zoning district in which it is located. However, only one (1) EMS shall be permitted per premise. 2. EMS shall be subject to the maximum height and area requirements set forth in Section 85.02.05, provided that the EMS portion of any ground sign shall not exceed fi...
Window Signs
In Troy's Big Beaver, Maple Road, and Neighborhood Node districts, window signs cannot swallow the glass area the Zoning Ordinance requires for ground-floor transparency. Sec. 85.02.05(C)(6)(d) of the Sign Chapter ties signs affixed to windows directly to that transparency standard, which sets minimum window-and-door coverage as high as 50 percent of a front facade.
Troy Window Sign Transparency Rule
Some RestrictionsTroy City Code § 85.02.05(C)(6)(d); Zoning Ordinance § 5.04 (Ground Story Activation, Transparency)
d. Interior or exterior signs, including signs affixed to windows, must comply with the Transparency Requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. ... The first floor of any front façade facing a right-of-way shall be no less than fifty (50) percent windows and doors, and the minimum transparency for facades facing a side street, side yard, or parking area shall be no less than thirty (30) percent of t...
Freeway-Facing Signs
Troy bans off-premise signs, the billboard-style, freeway-facing signs advertising a business not located on the site, in every zoning district in the city. Sec. 85.01.05(H) of the Sign Chapter makes the prohibition citywide, and the Council adopted it after finding these signs distract drivers along busy highway corridors.
Troy Bans Off-Premise Freeway Signs
Heavy RestrictionsTroy City Code §§ 85.01.01(B)(9) and 85.01.05(H)
9. It is further determined that off premise signs are unduly distracting to motorists and residents because of the periodic changing of the message on such signs and because such signs are generally larger and are predominantly located along busy highways where several businesses are located in close proximity to each other, thereby posing a greater risk to the City's interest in traffic safet...
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