Dane County, WI Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)

803(3) of the zoning ordinance classifies a garage-sale sign as a temporary sign, meaning it falls outside the permit process that governs permanent ground, pylon, and wall signs elsewhere in Chapter 10. The tradeoff for skipping a permit is a tight set of numeric limits: one sign per parcel (agricultural districts may add one sign per row of crop for on-premise advertising), a 32-square-foot maximum area, and a 12-foot maximum height. Placement is not free-form, the sign must satisfy the setback rule that applies to on-premises ground signs under s.

802(d) and must sit entirely outside the Vision Clearance Triangle at intersections and driveways, so a sign propped at a corner lot's edge can still be cited even if it meets the size cap. The county also regulates how long a sign stays up: two display windows per year, each capped at 60 days, and the ordinance specifically bars stringing the two periods together to create one long season. Illuminated signs, flashing lights, moving parts, and inflatable objects, air dancers, or feather flags used as temporary signage are prohibited outright, regardless of size or duration.

Enforcement runs through the zoning administrator under s. 101, which treats every day a violation continues as a separate offense and authorizes citations under Chapter 2 of the county code.