Coeur d'Alene, ID Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Section 15.50.310(A)(4) exempts a Sign affixed or attached to the interior or exterior of a window or door from the sign permit requirement, and the same subsection says each exempt Sign is still subject to the applicable regulations in the chapter. The item prints no percentage-of-glass or square-foot cap for window signs. A sign inside the glass still counts as a Sign when it is visible from outside, because § 15.50.210 defines a Sign as any object with words, symbols, or illustrations that directs attention to a business or other subject and is visible outside the boundaries of the parcel. A Sign not readable from a public street or alley is exempt separately (§ 15.50.310(A)(9)).

Several rules still apply. No Sign can be placed so as to obstruct a door, window, or fire escape, and every Sign must be built of suitable materials and maintained in good repair (§ 15.50.120(B), (D)). A commercial Sign is not allowed in a residential zone or on property used for non-transient residential purposes, except for a home occupation with a certificate (§ 15.50.120(E)). Signs must be kept neat, clean, attractive, and safe, free from peeling paint and other surface deterioration (§ 15.50.500), and a damaged sign is repaired, replaced, or removed within thirty (30) days (§ 15.50.510). When a business closes or stops selling a product, the sign advertising it comes down within thirty (30) days (§ 15.50.520). An illuminated window sign must also meet the lighting rules in § 15.50.400(D), including the bar on any sign that actually or apparently flashes or blinks.

Under § 15.50.310(B), these are not Signs at all: address numbers, a noncommercial flag, holiday decorations, bumper or window stickers on a vehicle, and a building plaque, cornerstone, or nameplate incorporated into the structure.