UNSAFE AND UNLAWFUL SIGNS AND STRUCTURES.
Madison General Ordinances § 31.045
in effect31.045 - UNSAFE AND UNLAWFUL SIGNS AND STRUCTURES.
(1) General Enforcement.
The authority of the Zoning Administrator or designee with respect to unsafe, insecure or unlawful signs, or any sign found to in violation of this ordinance is as described in Secs. 31.04(2) and (4) herein.
(2) Maintenance and Removal of Signs.
(a) All signs and structures shall be properly maintained and kept in an overall clean, neat state of appearance. It shall be the responsibility of the permit holder or property owner to maintain signs and structures.
(b) Abandoned Signs. Signs that no longer serve the purpose for which they are intended, or are not maintained, or which have been abandoned, shall be removed by the most recent permit holder, the property owner, or by the City, at the expense of the property owner and may be charged to the property owner as a special charge. The Zoning Administrator shall keep an accurate account of the cost of such removal and bill the property owner. If any account remains unpaid, the Zoning Administrator may report the same to the Finance Director, who shall annually prepare a statement of all special charges at each lot or parcel of land and report the same to the City Clerk, and the amount therein charged against said lot or parcel of land shall be entered in the tax roll as a special charge against said lot or parcel, and the same shall be collected in all respects like any other special charge upon real estate under Wis. Stat. § 66.0627.
(c) Damaged or defaced signs shall be cleaned, repaired or removed by the most recent permit holder or property owner, or by the City of Madison under Sec. 31.04(4).
(3) Hazardous or Prohibited Signs, Structures and Conditions.
(a) Bracing of Signs. No sign or structure or any part of such structure as defined in the preceding sections, or any anchor, brace, guy wire or guide rod shall be attached, fastened or anchored to any fire escape, fire ladder or stand pipe, and no such structure or any part of such structure or anchor brace, guy wire or guide rod shall be erected, put up or maintained so as to cover or obstruct any roof, required doorway, required window or other opening of any building so as to prevent or hinder ingress or egress through such required door, doorway, window, exit or other opening, or so as to prevent or hinder the raising or placing of ladders against such building by a Fire Department as necessity may require.
(b) Signs Not to Constitute a Traffic Hazard. No sign regulated by this ordinance shall be erected at the intersection of any streets in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision as further delineated in other sections of this ordinance; or at any location where, by reason of the position, shape or color, it may interfere with, obstruct the view of or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device; or that makes use of the words "STOP," "LOOK," "DRIVE-IN," "DANGER," or any other word, phrase, symbol, or character in such manner as to interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic.
(c) Public Right-of-Ways.
1. No sign, advertisement, cabinet or obstruction, or any other object shall be placed upon, over, or in any public highway right-of-way, including the sidewalk, street, alley or public ground, or upon posts, trees or other supports in any public street or public ground, except that this section shall not be construed to prohibit the erection or placing of official traffic control devices, signs, signals or markers or other signs authorized by law or this ordinance, or of any other object specifically authorized by law of the State of Wisconsin or by these ordinances. This section shall not prohibit carrying of portable hand-held signs on the sidewalk or other pedestrian ways, when done so in compliance with Sec. 31.046(2)(b).
2. Reserved for Future Use. (Am. by ORD-17-00109, 10-25-17; Rpld. by ORD-19-00081, 11-13-19)
3. This subdivision does not apply to signs on City-sponsored bicycle-sharing facilities set forth in Sec. 10.33, MGO. (Am. by ORD-17-00109, 10-25-17)
This is a Charter Ordinance adopted pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 66.0101, and Article XI, Sec. 3 of the Wisconsin Constitution, and shall be effective upon sixty (60) days from passage and publication, subject to the referendum procedures of Wis. Stat. § 66.0101(5).
4. This subdivision does not apply to Government Building Identification Signs and Promotional and Decorative Banners under Sec. 31.07(5)(f). (Am. by ORD-17-00109, 10-25-17)
This is a Charter Ordinance adopted pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 66.0101, and Article XI, Sec. 3 of the Wisconsin Constitution, and shall be effective upon sixty (60) days from passage and publication, subject to the referendum procedures of Wis. Stat. § 66.0101(5).
(d) Suspended Signs. No sign or other structure as defined in this section shall be fixed to or suspended from any other sign so that the distance from the lower side of the sign or projection will be less than ten (10) feet from the top of a pedestrian walkway.
(e) Signs Painted Directly Upon Any Wall Or Wall Surface. No sign shall be painted directly upon any wall or wall surface unless approved by the Urban Design Commission as a legacy sign under Sec. 31.043(3) or approved by the Landmarks Commission under Secs. 41.09(4) or 41.12(2). (Am. by ORD-15-00072, 7-29-15)
(f) Use of Projected Images, in Conjunction With Signs. Any projected images, video, or other electronic light or laser displays projected onto a sign, building or structure are prohibited unless expressly allowed elsewhere in these Ordinances.
(g) 1.
Motion Signs. All Motion signs, as defined in Sec. 31.03(2), are prohibited. Flags and decorative and promotional banners allowed under Sec. 31.075 are not considered "motion signs."
2. Attention-Getting Objects. All Attention-Getting Objects, defined in Sec. 31.03(2), whether or not attached to or displayed in connection with a sign, are prohibited. Flags and decorative and promotional banners allowed under Sec. 31.075 are not considered "Attention-Getting Objects."
(h) Flashing Signs. All Flashing signs, as defined in Sec. 31.03(2), are prohibited regardless of the frequency of the flashing. Signs displayed in compliance with Sec. 31.046(1) and motion signs displayed in compliance with sub. (g)1. above, shall not be considered in violation of this prohibition. Official traffic control devices are exempt from this prohibition.
(i) Digital Image Signs. Digital Image Signs, as defined in Sec. 31.03(2), whether static or animated, are prohibited.
(j) Signs on Bridges and Overpasses. No person shall display, place, erect, post, maintain, install, affix, or carry any sign, including a hand-carried sign, on any portion of a vehicular or pedestrian bridge or overpass that passes over a freeway or expressway as defined in Wis. Stat. § 346.57, or a controlled access highway as defined in Wis. Stat. § 990.01, when such highway has a speed limit of more than 40 miles per hour, whether the highway is under the jurisdiction of the federal, state or local government, provided that such sign is visible from such freeway, expressway or controlled access highway.
This paragraph shall not apply to "official traffic control devices" as defined in Wis. Stats. § 340.01(38), (2005-06) and as may be amended, which are authorized by law and erected by the authority having jurisdiction over the highway or right of way. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit or restrict the application of Secs. 31.045(3)(b) and (c) of this ordinance, Wis. Stat. ch. 86 and any applicable regulations created by the Department of Transportation pursuant to that chapter, or any other federal, state or local law that prohibits or restricts the placement of signs in highways or other right-of-ways.
Source: City of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison General Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOIICH20--31_CH31SICOOR_ADGERE_31.045UNUNSISTFetched: 11/1/2026