Johnson County, IA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Right-of-way sign placement
- Prohibited on county/state/interstate roads
- Public-road sight triangle
- 100 feet from intersection center
- Private-road sight triangle
- 75 feet from intersection center
- Commercial parcel sign cap
- 500 sq. ft. total
- Enforcing office
- Johnson County Zoning Administrator
Summary
No sign may stand in the right-of-way of a county road, state highway, or interstate highway anywhere in unincorporated Johnson County, and signs near any intersection must clear a measured sight-distance triangle so they never obscure traffic on the county's road and interstate corridors.
No sign shall be located in the right-of-way of any county road, state highway, or interstate highway. i. Signs shall also be anchored and/or secured so as to prevent any risk of displacement or movement in such a way that the sign may enter the right of way or otherwise obscure or physically interfere with vehicular traffic. Signs shall not be allowed within the sight distance triangle at intersections. The corners of the site distance triangle shall be determined by measuring one hundred (100) feet away from the center point of the intersection along the center line of public roads and seventy five (75) feet away from the center point of the intersection along the center line of private roads.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
The UDO's General Sign Regulations flatly prohibit locating any sign in the right-of-way of a county road, state highway, or interstate highway, which covers signage aimed at drivers on the county's I-380 and Highway 6/1 corridors. Signs must also be anchored or secured so they cannot be displaced into the right-of-way or otherwise obscure or interfere with vehicular traffic. A related provision bars any sign that obscures an official traffic sign or signal, imitates one, or otherwise creates a driving hazard. Near intersections, the code adds a sight-distance triangle: no sign may stand within a triangle measured 100 feet from the intersection's center point along the centerline of public roads, or 75 feet along the centerline of private roads.
Signs that are otherwise legal still face district-based size caps; in the commercial and industrial districts, for example, total signage per parcel is capped at 500 square feet, with individual sign faces limited to 100 square feet next to gravel roads and 250 square feet next to paved roads. 27, and, because this is a UDO provision, they apply only outside Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin, and Solon.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or maintaining a sign in a road, state highway, or interstate right-of-way, or within the sight-distance triangle, is enforceable as a County Infraction under Chapter 8:8. The Zoning Administrator can order the sign removed, and a first violation carries a civil penalty up to $750, rising to $1,000 for a repeat violation of the same section, with each day the sign remains a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a sign in the right-of-way along the interstate in Johnson County?
How close to an intersection can a sign be placed in unincorporated Johnson County?
What happens if I put up an illegal highway sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Johnson County
Compare Johnson County to another location·View the Iowa sign regulations overview
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