Kalamazoo, MI Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Window signs, defined as anything posted, painted, or otherwise affixed in or on a window, are allowed on the ground floor and on second- and third-floor windows in every zoning district in the city. The coverage limits differ by floor: ground-floor window signs may cover up to 25% of the ground-floor window area, while signs on upper floors may cover up to 30% of the upper-floor window area, with sign area measured under the method in Figure 9.1-1, Calculating Sign Face Area. A business located exclusively on an upper floor gets one window sign per street-facing facade, separate from any ground-floor signage on the same building.

Because window signs are excluded from the overall sign allowance, a business can install a compliant window sign without eating into the freestanding, wall, projecting, or other on-premises sign totals set by Table 9.5-1 for its zoning district. Most importantly for a small business owner, § 50-9.5(G)(6) states plainly that a sign permit is not required for a window sign, putting it in the same no-permit category as sandwich board signs, though a mural larger than 200 square feet or a light projection of a sign over the public right-of-way still triggers separate permitting requirements elsewhere in Article 9.