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Duluth, MN Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Exterior signs
cannot cover windows or doors, § 50-27.3(A)(7)
Transparency rule
film must keep 100% see-through around letters
Window clings
treated as window signs, all rules apply
Duration
window signs may be permanent or temporary
Correction period
30 days after a city notice
Non-compliance
city may remove sign at owner's expense

Summary

In the City of Duluth, no exterior sign may cover a window or door, and a window sign printed on transparent film is measured only by the area of its individual letters or logos, so long as the film around each letter keeps the window 100 percent see-through, under § 50-27.3.

7. No sign may be erected on the exterior of a building to cover any windows or doors; ... (d) Window signs printed on a transparent film and affixed to the interior or exterior of a windowpane are calculated as individual letters or logos, provided that the portion of the transparent film around the perimeter of the individual letters or logos maintains 100 percent transparency of the window. Transparency is defined as both the ability to view into the interior of the establishment from the outside and to view the outside from the interior of the establishment through the same area;

View official code

Full Breakdown

3(A)(7) flatly bars erecting any sign on the exterior of a building that covers a window or door. 3(B)(1)(d) sets how it's measured for sign-area purposes: a sign printed on transparent film and affixed to the interior or exterior of a windowpane counts, for area purposes, only as the total area of its individual letters or logos, not the whole pane, but only if the transparent film surrounding each letter or logo keeps the window 100 percent transparent, meaning a person can still see into the business from outside and out from inside through that same area.

The Unified Development Chapter's definitions section separately defines a window sign as any sign attached to, placed on, or printed on the interior or exterior of a window or door, or displayed within 12 inches of a window meant to be viewed from outside; a window sign can be permanent or temporary, and window clings are explicitly treated as window signs subject to every window sign rule. 1, but every window sign, permitted or not, still has to meet the transparency and no-covering standards.

Violations & Fines

An illegally erected or noncompliant window sign is handled under § 50-27.2(B): the city can serve the property owner a notice that the sign must be removed or the violation corrected within 30 days. If it isn't fixed in that window, the city may remove the sign at the owner's expense, unless an extension is granted through the § 50-37.1(O) appeals process before the 30 days runs out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a business put an opaque sign over its storefront window in Duluth?
No. Section 50-27.3(A)(7) bars erecting any sign on the exterior of a building that covers a window or door, regardless of the sign's purpose.
How is a window decal or cling measured for sign area in Duluth?
As the area of the individual letters or logos themselves, not the whole pane, but only if the transparent film around each letter or logo keeps 100 percent of the window see-through from both inside and outside, under § 50-27.3(B)(1)(d).
Does a temporary window cling need a permit in Duluth?
It depends on whether it appears on the no-permit list in Table 50-27-1, but the code treats every window cling as a window sign subject to all of Duluth's window sign regulations regardless of how long it stays up.
What happens if my window sign doesn't meet the transparency rule?
The city can serve you a correction notice under § 50-27.2(B); you get 30 days to fix or remove the sign, and if you don't, the city can remove it and bill you unless you get an extension approved before the deadline.

Sources & Official References

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All Duluth rules

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