Cook County, IL Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Cook County only
- Signs per lot
- One (two on corner lots)
- Max size
- 12 square feet
- Max height
- 10 feet above ground
- Time limit
- 3 days, max 3 days per 30 days
Summary
In unincorporated Cook County, a garage sale sign skips the permit but is capped at one per lot, 12 square feet, and three days out: no exceptions.
F. Temporary signs for the sale or rental of real estate, personal celebrations, political campaigns, noncommercial special events or garage sales, subject to the following: 1. One sign shall be permitted on a zoning lot, except that on corner lots two signs...shall be permitted. Signs shall not have a sign face exceeding 12 square feet in area... 6. Temporary signs shall not be erected in connection with rummage sales or garage sales for a period longer than three days, nor shall signs be erected on the same zoning lot for a total of more than three days in any 30-day period.
Full Breakdown
Cook County's zoning ordinance treats garage sale signs as no-permit temporary signs, but only within unincorporated Cook County (incorporated towns like Chicago run their own sign codes). One sign is allowed per zoning lot, two on a corner lot with one facing each street, and neither may exceed 12 square feet or sit closer than ten feet to another lot. Signs can't be illuminated, can't project into the right-of-way, and can't stand taller than ten feet. The county caps display time hard: no garage or rummage sale sign can go up for more than three days, and the same lot can't host signs for more than three total days in any 30-day stretch, so back-to-back weekend sales can trip the limit.
Violations & Fines
The Department of Building and Zoning can order an over-limit or overstaying sign removed; a sign put up without meeting these no-permit conditions is treated as requiring a full sign permit under Article 12, and running an unpermitted sign is enforceable the same as any other zoning violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a garage sale sign in Cook County?
How long can a garage sale sign stay up?
Does this apply inside Chicago?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
Compare Cook County to another location·View the Illinois sign regulations overview
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