Springfield, IL Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)

Springfield's temporary-sign definition in Sec. 300(a)(7) explicitly lists garage sale and yard sale signs among the temporary signs covered by Sec. 302, so a homeowner posting a sale sign is regulated the same way as a real estate or election sign, not under a separate garage-sale rule. Sec. 302(b)(2) sets the total square footage allowed for all temporary signs on a lot: 16 square feet in the single-family and duplex R-1 and R-2 districts, 50 square feet for permitted nonresidential uses in those same districts, and up to 200 square feet in the B-2, I-1 and I-2 category.

A garage sale sign must also meet the general conditions in Sec. 302(b): it can't obstruct a sidewalk, street, driveway, traffic sign, bus stop or fire hydrant or otherwise create a tripping hazard, it has to be stable in high winds, it can't be illuminated without a separate three-day permit, and it may only be posted with the consent of the property owner or occupant. Because a garage sale has a defined end date, Sec. 302(d)(1) requires removal within 14 days of the conclusion of the sale, and Sec.

302(d)(2) puts responsibility for taking the sign down on whoever posted it, falling back to the property owner or occupant if the poster doesn't act. Garage sale signs posted on public property or in the public right-of-way don't get this grace period: the director of public works can have them pulled immediately as prohibited private signage under Sec. 300(c)(11).