Minneapolis, MN Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- District
- within 660 ft of freeway
- Max height
- 35 ft from grade
- Max sign area
- 672 sq ft
- Min spacing
- 1,000 ft between billboards
- New off-premises signs
- banned citywide since 12/1/2025
Summary
Minneapolis limits off-premises billboards near freeways to designated Billboard Districts along limited-access roadways, capping height at 35 feet and sign area at 672 square feet, and bans construction of any new off-premises sign anywhere in the city.
The Limited Access Roadway Opportunity Billboard District shall comprise areas within six hundred sixty (660) feet of limited access roadway where continuous to commercial mixed-use, downtown, or production districts and extends at least one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) feet along and parallel to the limited access roadway without interruption by an urban neighborhood or residential mixed-use zoning district.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72).
Full Breakdown
Minneapolis carves out five Billboard Districts under Chapter 560 of the zoning code, including a Limited Access Roadway Opportunity Billboard District covering land within 660 feet of a freeway that has at least 1,320 feet of continuous commercial, downtown, or production zoning along the roadway. Off-premises signs there top out at 35 feet high and 672 square feet (plus a 25 percent temporary extension), must sit at least 1,000 feet from another billboard and 600 feet from a residential district, and are capped at 7,000 nits in daytime. As of December 1, 2025, no new off-premises sign may be built anywhere in the city; only existing signs in these districts can be altered.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a billboard without a sign permit, or building any new off-premises sign anywhere in Minneapolis after December 1, 2025, violates Chapter 560; the zoning administrator can deny the permit and order the sign removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a new billboard facing I-94 or I-35W in Minneapolis?
How tall can a freeway-facing billboard be in Minneapolis?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Minneapolis
Compare Minneapolis to another location·View the Minnesota sign regulations overview
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