Clinton Township, MI Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

Section 1488.02(c) of the sign chapter defines a billboard sign as a permanent sign located on a parcel within the I-2 General Industrial District when that district abuts an interstate highway, displaying copy unrelated to any person, activity, subject, event or use on the parcel where the sign sits, meaning off-premises advertising. Three numeric limits apply directly: the maximum display area is 300 square feet, the maximum height is thirty-five feet, and no billboard may be located closer than 1,000 feet to any other billboard sign. Because the district and adjacency requirements are baked into the definition itself, a billboard proposed anywhere outside an interstate-adjacent I-2 parcel doesn't meet the chapter's definition and isn't a permitted use.

Like every other sign type, a billboard needs a permit from the Building Department under Section 1488.04 before it can be erected, altered or relocated, with the application covering site location, construction drawings and the method of illumination, and a decision due within thirty days. Section 1488.04(f) also requires that any external illumination on the billboard be aimed so it doesn't create visual interference for drivers on adjacent roads or for neighboring property occupants. A billboard permit is valid for 365 days and lapses if construction isn't finished in that window. An applicant denied a billboard permit can appeal to the Township's Board of Appeals within thirty days of denial.