Specific billboard district standards.
Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 560.330
in effect560.330. - Specific billboard district standards.
(a) In general. All off-premises signs shall conform to the applicable standards of Table 560-5, General Billboard District Standards, Table 560-6, Opportunity Billboard District Standards, Table 560-7, Downtown East and Downtown West Entertainment Billboard Districts, and all other applicable regulations of this chapter.
(b) Abbreviations. For purposes of Table 560-5, General Billboard District Standards, Table 560-6, Opportunity Billboard District Standards, Table 560-7, Downtown East and Downtown West Entertainment Billboard District Standards, "sq. ft." shall mean square feet, and "ft." shall mean feet.
Table 560-5 General Billboard District Standards
General Billboard District
Minimum commercial mixed-use or production zoning | The off-premises sign shall be located within a minimum of one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) ft. of continuous commercial mixed-use or production zoning along and parallel to both sides of the roadway from which the off-premises sign is intended to be read.
Minimum lot frontage | 50 ft.
Maximum sign area | 300 sq. ft.
Maximum sign height | The top of the off-premises sign shall not exceed twenty-five (25) ft. above the roof. No off-premises sign shall be placed on the roof of any building exceeding two (2) stories in height or where the roof is more than twenty-eight (28) ft. above grade.
Lighted sign | Permitted subject to luminance regulation; not facing urban neighborhood or residential mixed-use districts.
Luminance1 | Maximum of seven thousand (7,000) nits from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and maximum of five hundred (500) nits from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Animated signs | Not permitted.
Flashing signs | Not permitted.
Freestanding signs | Permitted.
Minimum sign spacing | Six hundred sixty (660) feet from an urban neighborhood or residential mixed-use district; One thousand (1,000) feet from an off-premises sign on either side of the roadway.
Temporary extensions | Not permitted.
;b0; 1 Luminance is the physical measure of brightness or light emanating from an object with respect to its size. The unit of measurement for luminance is nits, which is the total amount of light emitted from a sign divided by the surface area of the sign (candela per square meter).
Table 560-6 Opportunity Billboard District Standards
Downtown Opportunity Billboard District | Limited Access Roadway Opportunity Billboard District
Minimum commercial mixed-use, downtown or production zoning | At least one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) feet of continuous parallel commercial mixed-use, downtown, or production zoning along both sides of the roadway from which the off-premises sign is intended to be read, or can be read. | At least one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) feet of continuous commercial mixed-Use, downtown, or production zoning along and parallel to the limited access roadway from which the off-premises sign is intended to be read, or can be read.
Minimum lot frontage | Fifty (50) feet for an off-premises sign not exceeding three hundred (300) square feet; one hundred (100) feet for an off-premises sign over three hundred (300) square feet. | Fifty (50) feet for an off-premises sign not exceeding three hundred (300) square feet; one hundred (100) feet for an off-premises sign over three hundred (300) square feet.
Maximum off-premises sign area | Six hundred seventy-two (672) square feet plus up to twenty-five (25) percent temporary extension of the basic off-premises sign face. | Six hundred seventy-two (672) square feet plus up to twenty-five (25) percent temporary extension of the basic off-premises sign face.
Maximum off-premises sign height | The top of the off-premises sign shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet above the roof. No off-premises sign shall be placed on the roof of any building exceeding three (3) stories in height or where the roof is more than forty (40) feet above grade. | Thirty-five (35) feet from grade. If located on a roof, the top of the off-premises sign shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet above the roof. No off-premises sign shall be placed on the roof of any building exceeding three (3) stories in height or where the roof surface is more than forty (40) feet above grade. 1
Freestanding off-premises signs | Not permitted. | Permitted.
Lighted sign | Permitted subject to luminance provision. | Permitted subject to luminance provision.
Luminance2 | Maximum of seven thousand (7,000) nits from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and maximum of five hundred (500) nits from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. | Maximum of seven thousand (7,000) nits from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and maximum of five hundred (500) nits from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Flashing signs | Not permitted except as provided in section 560.90. | Not permitted except as provided in section 560.90.
Animated signs | Not permitted except as provided in section 560.90. | Not permitted.
Minimum off-premises sign spacing | Two hundred (200) feet from an urban neighborhood or residential mixed-use district; one thousand (1,000) feet from an off-premises sign on the same side of the roadway, except as described in this section. In order to allow structural alteration or reconstruction of existing off-premises signs in the Downtown Opportunity Billboard District that may not meet the one thousand (1,000) foot spacing requirement of the district, the required spacing between existing off-premises signs may be reduced by one (1) foot for each two (2) square feet, or four (4) square feet in case of electronic signs, of nonconforming off-premises sign face area removed by the applicant from qualifying locations, pursuant to the provisions of section 560.80. In no case may the required spacing be reduced to less than five hundred (500) feet. This special spacing provision applies only where the structurally altered or reconstructed off-premises sign is located on or within one hundred (100) feet of the zoning lot where the original off-premises sign was located immediately before such alteration or reconstruction. | Six hundred (600) feet from an urban neighborhood or residential mixed-use district located along and on the same side of the limited access roadway; one thousand (1,000) feet from an off-premises sign on the same side of the roadway; two thousand five hundred (2,500) feet from an off-premises flashing sign reading to the same directional traffic.
Temporary extensions | Off-premises signs in the Opportunity Billboard Districts may have temporary extensions of not more than six (6) feet from the top, eighteen (18) inches from the sides, and fifteen (15) inches from the bottom, up to a maximum of twenty-five (25) percent of the sign, provided that temporary extensions shall be completely removed not later than ninety (90) days after installation and the total combined period of temporary extensions for a sign shall not exceed one hundred eighty (180) days per year.
;b0; 1 A sign in excess of height limits may be allowed as a conditional use in the Limited Access Roadway Opportunity Billboard District, subject to the provisions of Chapter 525.
2 Luminance is the physical measure of brightness or light emanating from an object with respect to its size. The unit of measurement for luminance is nits, which is the total amount of light emitted from a sign divided by the surface area of the sign (candela per square meter).
Table 560-7 Downtown East and Downtown West Entertainment Billboard District Standards
General Standards | Additional Standards for Off-Premises Signs on a Regional Sports Arena
Maximum number of off-premises signs per zoning lot | None.
Maximum off-premises sign area | The off-premises sign shall not exceed the square footage equal to ten (10) times the building perimeter as measured at the foundation wall. Off-premises signs lawfully existing at the time of the adoption of this ordinance shall not be included in the calculation of the total amount of off-premises signage allowed this section. | Signs applied flat on the roof and which are intended to be primarily viewed from above shall not be included in calculating the total sign area of the site.
Maximum off-premises sign height | If located on a roof, the top of the off-premises sign shall not exceed forty-five (45) feet above the roof. No off-premises sign shall be placed on the roof of any building exceeding four (4) stories in height or where the roof is more than fifty-six (56) feet above grade. | Signs attached to the wall or roof of a regional sports arena may extend as high as twenty (20) feet above the top of the building wall.
Lighted signs | Permitted subject to luminance provision.
Freestanding Signs | Not permitted | One (1) freestanding sign not exceeding thirty-five (35) feet in height shall be allowed. The sign may have signage on up to two (2) sides with a maximum of one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet of signage on each side. If the sign includes both on-premises and off-premises advertising, the total amount of signage shall not exceed one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet on each side.
Luminance1 | Maximum of seven thousand (7,000) nits from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and maximum of five hundred (500) nits from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Animated signs | Permitted, subject to the provisions of section 560.90. Animated signs on billboards placed on lots located on the south side of Sixth Street South shall face north.
Flashing signs | Permitted, subject to the provisions of section 560.90. Flashing signs on billboards placed on lots located on the south side of Sixth Street South shall face north.
Signs with moving or swinging parts | Permitted. Off-premises signs with moving or swinging parts or elements shall not project beyond the zoning lot.
Minimum sign spacing | None.
1 Luminance is the physical measure of brightness or light emanating from an object with respect to its size. The unit of measurement for luminance is nits, which is the total amount of light emitted from a sign divided by the surface area of the sign (candela per square meter).
(Ord. No. 2025-054, § 16, 11-20-2025)
Source: City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Code of Ordinances, City Charter and Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/mn/minneapolis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MICOOR_TIT20ZOCO_CH560SI_ARTIIIOEMADSIBI_560.330SPBIDISTFetched: 11/2/2026