In Chicago, your legal sign size is tied to your zoning district — B1 and C2 storefronts a block apart can have very different limits, and flashing signs are banned outright in some. Enter your address. We pull your zoning and flag the risk before you file a permit that bounces.
Chicago ties your maximum sign area to your zoning district and your street frontage, under Chapter 17-12 of the Zoning Ordinance. A B1 storefront gets 3× its frontage up to 600 sq ft; a C2 lot next door gets 5× up to 1,800. Going even slightly over the district cap gets the permit application rejected outright. The other trap is motion: flashing signs are flatly prohibited in B1 and B2 districts, so a digital sign that's legal downtown can be illegal on a neighborhood commercial strip.
This tool reads the same zoning rules the Department of Buildings enforces and tells you where your plan stands before you pay for fabrication or file a permit.
Maximum total on-premise sign area. "Mult" = multiply by your street frontage in feet; cap is the hard ceiling.
| District | Max sign area | Flashing/LED |
|---|---|---|
| B1 / B2 | ×3, max 600 | Prohibited |
| B3 / C1 / C3 / DS | ×4, max 1,500 | Allowed |
| C2 / M | ×5, max 1,800 | C2 allowed / M prohibited |
| DC / DX (downtown) | ×5, max 800 | Allowed |
Source: Chicago Zoning Ordinance §17-12-1003-E, §17-12-1005-C. Wall signs also capped at 33% of wall area; ground-floor tenants guaranteed at least 32 sq ft. Window signs ≤ 25% of glazing.