Beloit, WI Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Chapter 30 draws a sharp line between two things that look similar from the sidewalk. 44(1)(a) is merchandise placed inside a window for sale so it can be seen from outside, and the code specifies that a window display is not a window sign. 44(1)(b) is a sign installed inside a window, or painted or drawn on the inside of the glass, meant to be viewed from outside; it counts as either a secondary, on-premises sign or an off-premises sign depending on what it advertises.

44(2) sets the operating rules for window signs: no sign permit or permit fee is required, and the sign is only permitted in commercial zoning districts, not residential ones. The area limit is strict but simple: a window sign cannot exceed 25 percent of the area of the window it is displayed in, measured window by window rather than against the building's total glass area. Beyond that coverage cap, the section does not limit how many window signs a business can post, how tall they can be, how far back from the property line they sit, or how long they stay up. 09, and it is not tallied as an on-premises or off-premises sign for purposes of the chapter's other sign-count limits.