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

Section 350-77B of the McLean County Zoning Code exempts window signs from the sign permit process, but the exemption is narrower than the total exemptions listed in § 350-77A: it applies only in commercial and manufacturing districts and only when the sign does not exceed 25% of the window surface. A window sign that covers more than a quarter of the glass, or one posted in the Agriculture, R-1 or R-2 residential districts, falls outside § 350-77B and needs a sign permit under § 350-74 before it can be displayed, subject to the review and five-day turnaround the Director of Building and Zoning follows for any permit application.

Even a compliant, exempt window sign shall comply with all of the other regulations imposed by this article, which pulls in the traffic-safety standards of § 350-76: it cannot obstruct a fire escape or required exit, cannot be confused with a traffic control device, and cannot sit within the sight triangle at an intersection. The C Commercial District's own standards at § 350-83C(1)(b) separately note that window signs face no limitations on count, so a business can post several exempt window displays as long as each stays under the 25% threshold. This rule reaches only unincorporated county storefronts; Bloomington and Normal regulate window signage under their own municipal codes.