Racine County, WI Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage cap
- 20% of window area
- Alternate cap
- 100 sq ft if lower
- Placement
- Inside glass, first floor only
- Exempt trigger
- Not readable from street
Summary
In Racine County business and industrial districts, window signs that require a permit cannot cover more than 20 percent of the window or door-window area they are applied to, or 100 square feet, whichever is smaller.
Window signs, except for painted signs and decals, that may be placed on the outside of the glass, may be placed only on the inside of buildings and only in first floor windows/doors. No permit is required for window signs that are not readable from the street right-of-way. The total area of all window signs requiring a permit shall not cover more than twenty (20) percent of the total window area or door window area to which they are applied, or one hundred (100) square feet, whichever is less.
(9) Signs on any one (1) site are further limited as follows:
a. Shopping centers and multi-tenant buildings may provide one (1) ground or pole sign for each street frontage. Such facilities may also provide one (1) wall sign or one (1) sign for each business in the building.
b. Gasoline stations, service stations, convenience stores with pumps, or any combination thereof may provide one (1) ground sign and one (1) additional pole or ground sign. Wall signs and canopy signs may also be provided subject to total square footage limitations. Signs advertising incidental products for sale that are window signs or located on the gasoline pumps, and are not readable from the street right-of-way, will not require permits or be regulated in number.
c. For all other uses, total signs are limited to one (1) ground or pole sign and two (2) other signs per street-view frontage.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 20-1403(8) caps permitted window signage in business and industrial districts at 20 percent of the total window or door-window area, or 100 square feet, whichever is less. Painted signs and decals may go on the outside of the glass; other window signs are allowed only on the inside of the building and only in first-floor windows or doors. A window sign that is not readable from the street right-of-way needs no permit at all, so the 20 percent cap only binds signs meant to be read from outside. This provision governs business and industrial zoning districts in the unincorporated towns that adopted county zoning; the City of Racine and the county's incorporated villages set their own window-sign rules.
Violations & Fines
Window signage exceeding the 20 percent or 100-square-foot cap without a zoning permit is an enforceable zoning violation, subject to correction, removal, or forfeiture action by the county zoning administrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my storefront window can I cover with signs in Racine County?
Do all window signs need a permit in Racine County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Racine County
Compare Racine County to another location·View the Wisconsin sign regulations overview
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