DuPage County, IL Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

The county zoning ordinance splits window signage into two separate tracks under Section 37-1103. Temporary window signs, covered at Section 37-1103(B)(2), apply specifically inside business districts: show-window displays cannot occupy more than 25% of the window's surface area. Outside business districts, a temporary window sign is instead governed by the exempt-and-temporary-sign standards in Section 37-1104, which set copy-area and duration limits for signs like For Sale, For Rent and construction signs rather than a window-coverage percentage. 2(C). In practice this means a retailer with a permanent, professionally installed window graphic is checked against the wall-sign area formula for its district, while a paper sale banner taped inside the glass is checked against the 25% temporary-window test if the property sits in a business district.

All signs, temporary or permanent, still have to comply with the countywide general provisions in Section 37-1103(A): no sign may be attached to a utility pole or tree, illumination must be diffused so it does not reflect beyond the lot line or more than 10 feet above grade, and every sign other than the listed exemptions needs a permit from the DuPage County Building Department before installation.