Cook County, IL Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Max sign face
- 12 sq ft
- Signs per lot
- 1 (2 on corner lots)
- Max height
- 10 ft above ground
- Setback from other lots
- 10 feet
- Permit required
- No, if limits met
Summary
In unincorporated Cook County, political campaign signs count as temporary signs: one per lot (two on corners), 12 sq ft max, no permit needed if you follow the limits.
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...Signs shall not have a sign face exceeding 12 square feet in area nor be closer than ten feet to other zoning lots...4. Signs shall not project higher than ten feet above ground level at the base of the sign. 5. Temporary signs shall be promptly removed following the events to which such signs pertain.
Full Breakdown
Cook County's zoning ordinance treats political campaign signs as a category of temporary sign alongside real estate, garage-sale and personal-celebration signs. No sign permit is required if you stay within the limits: one sign per zoning lot (two on corner lots, one facing each street), a sign face no larger than 12 square feet, set back at least ten feet from other zoning lots, unlit, no more than ten feet tall, and kept off the public right-of-way. This applies only in unincorporated Cook County, municipalities with their own zoning ordinances, including Chicago, are excluded from this chapter and set their own sign rules.
Violations & Fines
Oversized, illuminated, or right-of-way-encroaching signs lose the no-permit exemption and can be ordered removed by the Department of Building and Zoning as unpermitted signs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a political yard sign in unincorporated Cook County?
Does this rule apply in Chicago or other Cook County towns?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
Compare Cook County to another location·View the Illinois sign regulations overview
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