General provisions.

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 744-905

in effect

Sec. 744-905. - General provisions. A. Address. The address of a site shall be displayed as provided in this chapter. B. Clearance Area Requirements. 1. No sign or sign structure between 2.5 feet and nine feet above the driving surface of the adjacent road way shall be permitted within the area formed by measuring 25 feet along both curb lines where they intersect, and connecting the two points to form a triangle. Refer to Sign Diagram H - Clear Sight Visibility Area below. [image omitted; see the official code] Sign Diagram H - Clear Sight Visibility Area 2. No sign may be located in a way that obstructs or blocks any public right-of-way, sidewalk, walkway, intersection, ingress or egress point, transit stop, pedestrian ramp, parking space, drive aisle, driveway, building entrance, fire escape, or accessibility ramp. 3. Any part of a sign extending over a pedestrian traffic area, walkway or sidewalk shall have a minimum vertical clearance of nine feet above that surface and any part of a sign extending over a vehicle area shall have a minimum vertical clearance of 12 feet above that surface. 4. Freestanding signs shall have at least a vertical clearance of 10 feet from any overhead power line. C. Signs generally prohibited in the right-of-way. No sign shall be located, used, or maintained on or over a public property or public right-of-way, except as specifically authorized by this chapter and, if applicable, any requisite encroachment license. No sign may be installed, used, or maintained on or over a drainage or utility easement, except as specifically authorized by the entity granted the easement. D. Construction of signs. 1. Safety. All electrical fixtures, devices, circuits, conduits, raceways, or any apparatus used to illuminate any sign shall be installed and maintained in compliance with current electrical and fire codes with the NFPA 70. A listing label from a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as UL, shall be provided for any sign with electrical components. 2. Durability. Materials for signs shall be durable and capable of withstanding weathering over the life of the sign with reasonable maintenance. Glass forming any part of a sign, with the exception of exposed lamps, shall be safety glass. 3. Watertight. All signs attached to a building shall be installed and maintained so that wall penetrations are watertight and do not exceed allowable stresses of supporting materials. When a building-mounted sign is removed, the wall shall be repaired and restored to its original condition prior to sign installation. 4. Prevent nesting. All signs and their supporting structures shall be enclosed so as to prevent inhabitation by birds, rodents, insects, and other wildlife. 5. Raceways and transformers. If a raceway is necessary, it shall not extend in width or height beyond the area of the sign. A raceway shall be finished to match the background surface to which it is attached, or integrated into the overall design of the sign. Conduits and other electrical components shall be designed as an integral part of the overall sign structure and hidden from view to the extent technically feasible. Visible transformers are prohibited. 6. Natural features prohibited. No signs shall be permitted to be painted on, attached to, or maintained upon trees, rock outcroppings, or other natural features. E. Number of faces permitted on a freestanding sign structure. Unless specifically restricted by these sign regulations, a sign structure may contain more than one sign face, and may be two-sided or multi-sided, provided all other requirements of these regulations are met. F. Excess sign size square footage. No portion of a maximum size allowance may be transferrable to another sign, another frontage, another façade or between building signs. (G.O. 10, 2019, § 1)

Source: Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Revised Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIIPUHEWE_CH744DEST_ARTIX2018RESIRE_S744-905GEPRFetched: 10/27/2026