Signs

The City of Warsaw's sign ordinances serve several important purposes:

  • Provide a community standard
  • Improve pedestrian and traffic safety
  • Maintain and enhance the aesthetic environment of the City to attract economic development
  • Minimize possible adverse effects of signs on nearby and public property
  • Create fair and consistent enforcement of these sign standards

Temporary Sign Requirements

  1. Advertising material must comply with all provisions in the City of Warsaw Zoning Code.
  2. The total display area of all temporary signs may not exceed one-half the display area of the corresponding permitted permanent sign.
  3. Temporary signs must have a separation distance equal to one-fourth the length of the frontage to which they are oriented.
  4. A temporary sign may not exceed the height restriction of a permitted permanent sign.
  5. Use of temporary signs may not exceed a total of 180 days of use per business in a calendar year.
  6. The person for whose advertising benefit the sign is placed will be responsible for the payment of all permit fees and for the proper placement of the sign.
  7. A $15.00 fee must be paid for each sign permit per calendar year.
  8. No permit fee is required if the sign usage is for a period of three days or less, or if the sign usage is by a not-for-profit organization, or if the signs are placed in a window.
  9. No temporary sign may be placed in any portion of the public right-of-way, nor may they be placed in such a way as to obstruct the view of vehicular or pedestrian traffic at intersections or points of ingress and egress onto a public right-of-way.
  10. No sign originally manufactured, constructed or intended for use as a temporary sign may be used as a permanent sign nor may any temporary sign be converted to use as a permanent sign.  No sign permit will be issued for such installation.
  11. For businesses whose primary business is conducted outside, these special provisions apply to temporary signs:
    • Moving signs may be used with a required setback of five feet from public right-of-way. This includes banners, flags, and streamers. A permit will not be required for this material.
    • Balloons may be used provided they are not inflated with helium. No other inflatable signs may be used.

Prohibited Signs

  1. Signs which are structurally unsafe, as determined by the Uniform Building Code.
  2. Signs obstructing free ingress or egress from a required exit, or which prevent light or ventilation as required in local codes and ordinances.
  3. Signs which by reason of size, location, content, coloring or illumination violate municipal and state highway standards.
  4. Signs bearing words, phrases, symbols, colors or characteristics which may mislead, interfere with, or confuse traffic.
  5. Signs erected on or attached to any sidewalk, street, tree lawn, tree, curb, curbstone, hydrant, lamppost, barricade, temporary walkway, utility pole, public fence, or on a fixture of the fire alarm or police system, except public service signs.
  6. Inflatable signs, except as provided for by code.
  7. Moving signs, except as provided for by code.
  8. Off-premise signs. (Real estate signs and development signs are exempt from this provision.)
  9. Flashing signs.

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