SIGNS EXEMPT FROM PERMIT.
Madison General Ordinances § 31.044
in effect31.044 - SIGNS EXEMPT FROM PERMIT.
(1) Signs Exempt from Permit. Consistent with the purpose and scope of this ordinance, the Common Council recognizes that certain temporary, necessary, or limited-purpose signs may be displayed without obtaining a permit, subject to applicable safety and aesthetic regulations herein. The Common Council finds that the following signs may be displayed without a permit because they serve an immediate or temporary traffic safety or wayfinding function, including but not limited to the temporary replacement or relocation of permitted, permanent signs during construction; serve a governmental purpose; are permitted or mandated by city ordinance, state or federal law; allow freedom of speech and expression in a timely manner; allow freedom of speech and expression during election periods; or because the size, location or duration of the sign as regulated herein is not significant enough to require review and a permit prior to display of such sign.
No permit shall be required for the following signs when displayed according to the following provisions and any other applicable requirements of these Ordinances or applicable law. When zoning districts are indicated, such signs are only exempt from permit in those districts. When no zoning district is indicated, such signs are exempt from permit in all districts. Exempt signs may not be illuminated unless expressly stated herein or elsewhere in this chapter. Exempt signs may be displayed on a wall or on the ground unless another manner or location of display is expressly provided or prohibited herein, need not comply with Secs. 31.07 (Wall Signs) or 31.08 (Ground Signs) unless expressly stated herein, but shall comply with Secs. 31.04(5) and 31.045, MGO. Any exempt sign displayed on a wall must be displayed within the signable area and if no maximum net area is stated, the net area shall not exceed 100% of the signable area.
An exempt sign under this section may be displayed on a temporary basis if expressly indicated herein or in the definition section (Sec. 31.03(2)). Exempt signs displayed on a temporary basis shall comply with the construction requirements in Sec. 31.04(5) except a temporary exempt sign shall not be electric, shall not be displayed on the roof or above-roof, and shall not be internally illuminated.
The following signs shall be exempt from permit as provided below:
(a) Athletic Field Signage. Signs, banners, and scoreboards designed solely for view from spectator areas and displayed on interior walls, fences, or other structures located inside an enclosed athletic field at a school, park, or other public or private athletic complex; except that approval of the Park Commission shall be required to display a sign, banner or scoreboard under this paragraph at a city park. Scoreboards that qualify under this paragraph may include flashing elements, if adequate screening is provided to screen the views from abutting streets, as approved by the Director of Planning and Community and Economic Development and Director of Traffic Engineering. For purposes of this paragraph, a "school" shall mean public schools as defined in Wis. Stat. § 115.01(1), private schools defined in Wis. Stat. § 115.001(3r), and technical colleges authorized under Wis. Stat. ch. 38. Athletic field signage may be illuminated and may be temporary. Temporary signs are subject to the illumination restrictions stated in Sec. (1) herein. (Am. by ORD-23-00098, 10-26-23)
(b) Awning Signage. Signs displayed on the lowest twelve inches (12") of the principal face or side panels of awnings provided they do not exceed six inches (6") in height. May be illuminated externally. See Sec. 31.06 for dimensional and internal illumination requirements, and for additional awning signs that require a permit.
(c) 1.
City Signs on City Property erected by Parks Division, Traffic Engineering Division, or the Department of Planning Community and Economic Development on City-owned lands, park property or City-owned and occupied buildings.
Maximum Gross Area: Twenty-four (24) square feet.
Maximum Height: Minimum of two (2) feet and maximum of ten (10) feet above the curb.
Illumination: Yes.
Temporary: Yes.
2. Signs on City-Sponsored Bicycle-Sharing Facilities on City-Owned Lands. Signs on City-sponsored bicycle-sharing facility equipment located on other City land, as defined in Sec. 10.33, MGO are subject to the requirements of Sec. 10.33(10), MGO and not regulated herein.
(d) Construction-Related Temporary Signs.
1. Street Occupancy Signs. Temporary signs displayed on street occupancy barricades, passageways and fences that have been erected pursuant to a valid street occupancy permit issued under Sec. 10.055(4)(o); denoting only the owner, occupant, architect, engineer or contractor(s) of the project for which the street occupancy permit was issued. See 10.055(4)(o) for maximum number of signs and any gross area, height, and setback requirements. (Am. by ORD-15-00036, 4-8-15)
2. Construction Directional Signs. Temporary signs displayed on private property for a limited period of time, to identify the location of and entrance to a business that remains open when normal access or pedestrian or vehicle traffic flow has been diverted by construction or road work so as to decrease the effectiveness of existing permanent signs, when approved by the Zoning Administrator. The Zoning Administrator shall approve the quantity, placement and duration of such signs to ensure traffic and pedestrian safety.
Maximum Net Area: Total signage shall not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet, square footage may be divided.
Maximum Height: Ten (10) feet.
Illumination: No.
3. Project Signs. Temporary signs on private property, describing a construction or improvement project, including the name of contractors, architects, engineers, investors, owners and occupants; and displayed only while the project is under construction and valid building permits are in force.
Maximum Net Area: Total signage shall not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in Group 1 districts, one-hundred and forty-four (144) square feet in all other districts. Square footage may be divided.
Maximum Height: Eight (8) feet in Group 1 districts, ten (10) feet in all other districts.
Setback: Ten (10) feet.
Number of Signs: One (1) per street frontage in the Group 1 districts.
Illumination: No.
(e) Election Campaign Signs. A temporary noncommercial sign displayed during an "election campaign period," as defined in Wis. Stat. § 12.04. Such signs shall not have any electrical, mechanical or audio auxiliary component, and shall not be attached to or placed on utility poles, trees, traffic devices, or within the public right-of-way and, if affixed to a permanent structure, shall not extend beyond the perimeter of the structure or obstruct any window, door, fire escape, ventilation shaft or other area that is required to remain unobstructed by an applicable building code.
Maximum Net Area: Twelve (12) square feet.
Maximum Height: Fifteen (15) feet when displayed on a wall, six (6) feet if displayed on a wooden stake.
Setback: Ten (10) feet.
Number: A number of signs equal to the number of candidates or causes on the ballot in the voting district in question.
Illumination: No.
(Am. by ORD-17-00124, 12-18-17)
(f) Reserved for future use. (Rpl. by ORD-17-00124, 12-18-17)
(g) Identification Signs.
1. Identification signs, including those displayed for a home occupation under Sec. 28.151, allowed in the Group 1 districts under Sec. 31.14(3)(a)1., 2.
2. Identification signs in districts not listed in sub. 1., above, denoting only the name and profession of the occupant.
Maximum Gross Area: Two (2) square feet.
Maximum Height: Twelve (12) feet or one (1) story, whichever is lower.
3. Illumination: No.
(h) Leaflet-type Temporary Notices, flat-mounted to kiosks, sidewalk showcases or public information boards, on private property, or in the public right-of-way pursuant to the encroachment proceedings in Sec. 10.31 of the Madison General Ordinances. Kiosks, sidewalk showcases, and information boards help to minimize and eliminate clutter and provide convenient alternatives to attachment of leaflets to trees or public structures in the right-of-way.
Maximum Net Area: Shall not project beyond the edge of any plane of the kiosk or board, when flat-mounted to the kiosk or board.
Illumination: No.
(i) Memorial Signs or Tablets, such as cornerstones, denoting only the names of buildings and date of erection, cut or set into a masonry surface and displayed on a wall only.
Maximum Net Area: Twelve (12) square feet.
Number: One (1) per street frontage.
Illumination: No.
(j) Merchandise Signs in Group 2 and 3 Districts.
Maximum Gross Area: Nine (9) square feet.
Maximum Height: Eight (8) feet.
Number: Two (2) per street frontage.
Illumination: No.
Temporary: Yes.
(k) Noncommercial. Signs expressing a noncommercial message that do not fit into any other category of sign permitted or allowed by this ordinance.
Maximum Net Area: Twelve (12) square feet in Group 1 districts, thirty-two (32) square feet in all other districts.
Maximum Height: One (1) story or twelve (12) feet, whichever is lower in Group 1 districts and fifteen (15) feet in all other districts.
Setback: Ten (10) feet in Group 1 districts, no setback in all other districts.
Number: One (1) per street frontage. On a lot abutting a waterway, may have up to two (2), one facing the street and one facing the waterway.
Illumination: No illumination in Group 1 districts. Can be illuminated if in a location and size that would otherwise be allowed to be illuminated under Sec. 31.04(5)(k).
Temporary: Yes.
(l) Parking Lot Signs.
1. Parking Lot Regulation Signs.
Maximum Net Area: Nine (9) square feet.
Setback: Ten (10) feet.
Number: No limit.
Illumination: Yes, except in Group 1 districts.
2. Parking Lot Directional Signs.
Maximum Net area: Three (3) square feet.
Maximum Height: Ten (10) feet.
Setback: None.
Number: Two (2) per street frontage, but no limit on number if setback more than one-hundred (100) feet from the property line.
Illumination: Yes, except in Group 1 districts.
3. Parking Lot traffic signs required by law. See also sub. (m).
4. Other Parking Lot signs allowed under Sec. 31.14 .
(m) Portable Signs. Only those portable signs that are expressly exempt from permit under Sec. 31.046(2). All such portable signs must comply with all requirements of that section.
(n) Public-Hearing-Notice Signs provided by the Department of Planning and Development, denoting the times and locations of public hearings before the Plan Commission and Common Council on applications for zoning map amendments or conditional uses as required by Chapter 28, the Zoning Code.
(o) Real Estate Signs advertising only the sale, rental or lease of the premises upon which the sign is located and displayed temporarily only during times when the premises/property is being offered for sale, rental or lease.
Maximum Net Area (Ground or Wall sign):
Group 1 Districts: Twelve (12) square feet.
Group 2 and 3 Districts: Thirty-two (32) square feet. Additionally, in all of these districts except Urban Design Districts, if the zoning lot fronts a highway with a speed limit of more than forty-five (45) miles per hour, a real estate sign of up to sixty-four (64) square feet in net area may be displayed.
The maximum net area for a real estate sign displayed on the ground in any district shall be measured according to Sec. 31.08(2)(c)2.
Maximum Height: One (1) story or twelve (12) feet, whichever is lower in Group 1 districts and fifteen (15) feet in all other districts.
Minimum Setback for a Ground Sign: Ten (10) feet.
Number: One (1) per street frontage. On a lot abutting a waterway, may have up to two (2), one facing the street and one facing the waterway.
Illumination: No.
(p) Traffic or Other Official Government Signs placed, authorized or required by the City or other authorized governmental agency, including but not limited to official traffic control devices defined in Wis. Stat. § 340.01(38) (2005-06), official traffic signs and signals, other municipal signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signs, warning and temporary emergency signs, mandatory motor fuel price signs as regulated by Wis. Stat. § 100.18 and 168.11(2005-06) or by other law, or warning signs on utility poles, fixtures or structures. The requirements for gross area, height, setback, other size, materials or physical specifications (including illumination) shall be as required by law or the authorizing agency.
(q) Window Signs as regulated under Sec. 31.10 of this ordinance.
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_31.044SIEXPEFetched: 11/1/2026