Tippecanoe County, IN Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 2,000 feet from corridor right-of-way
- Corridors covered
- Hoosier Heartland Corridor, Relocated US 231, Wabash River Scenic Byway
- Added by
- Amendment 85
- Applies within
- GB, I1, I2, I3 zones otherwise open to billboards
- Fine per violation
- $50-$1,500, each day separate
Summary
Billboards are generally allowed in Tippecanoe County's GB, I1, I2 and I3 zones, but Footnote 67 to the Unified Zoning Ordinance's Permitted Use Table cuts that out along the county's freeway-grade corridors: no outdoor advertising sign may stand within 2,000 feet of the right-of-way for the Hoosier Heartland Corridor, Relocated US 231, or the Wabash River Scenic Byway.
4-8-10 OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGNS: Outdoor advertising signs, often called billboards, are permitted in GB, I1, I2 and I3 zones (TIPPECANOE COUNTY, LAFAYETTE, BATTLE GROUND, CLARKS HILL, DAYTON) and I2 and I3 zones (WEST LAFAYETTE), as per 4-8-4 above and subject to Footnote 67 in Section 3-2 Permitted Use Table. (Amend 4 & 85) ... FOOTNOTES TO PERMITTED USE TABLE: 67.. Prohibited within 2000 feet of the ROW for the Hoosier Heartland Corridor, Relocated US 231 & the Wabash River Scenic Byway. (Am. 85)
Full Breakdown
" That footnote is the freeway-facing carve-out: it prohibits any qualifying use, including billboards sited under Footnote 67, within 2,000 feet of the right-of-way for three named corridors, the Hoosier Heartland Corridor (the US 24 freeway alignment), the Relocated US 231 freeway bypass, and the Wabash River Scenic Byway. The Hoosier Heartland Corridor and Relocated US 231 are both limited-access, freeway-grade routes through the county, so a billboard that would otherwise qualify under the general 300-square-foot, 300-foot residential setback and 1,000-foot spacing rules in 4-8-10 is barred outright inside that 2,000-foot buffer regardless of zoning.
The restriction was added by Amendment 85 to the Unified Zoning Ordinance and applies on top of, not instead of, the standard billboard siting rules for GB, I1, I2 and I3 zones. It is the only sign-specific entry in the Permitted Use Table's footnotes to reference a freeway corridor by name, distinguishing it from the ordinary countywide setback, spacing and height rules that apply everywhere else in those zones. An applicant proposing a billboard near any of the three corridors must first confirm the parcel's distance from the corridor right-of-way before filing for an improvement location permit with the Area Plan Commission's Administrative Officer.
Violations & Fines
A billboard erected inside the 2,000-foot Footnote 67 buffer without a variance is a zoning violation under Section 6-3-1, exposing the sign owner to a fine of $50 to $1,500 per determination, with each additional day of noncompliance counted as a separate violation. The Administrative Officer or Area Board of Zoning Appeals can order the sign removed as a common nuisance and recover attorney's fees and court costs from the owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a billboard face Tippecanoe County's freeway corridors?
Which highways trigger the 2,000-foot billboard buffer?
What happens if a billboard is built inside the buffer anyway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tippecanoe County
Compare Tippecanoe County to another location·View the Indiana sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.