Every outdoor sign in Des Moines is governed by the municipality’s sign ordinance, which sets how large a sign may be, how tall it may stand, how far it must sit from the property line, whether it may be illuminated, and which sign types are permitted in each zoning district. This page summarizes those requirements in plain language and links each value back to the section of the Des Moines code it came from.
Sign rules here are layered. The base zoning district — commercial, industrial, or residential — sets the default limits, and overlay districts such as historic or downtown districts can tighten them further. Because the most specific jurisdiction controls, a freestanding monument sign on a commercial parcel and a wall sign in a historic overlay can face very different limits even on the same street in Des Moines.
Use the figures below as a fast first check, then run a full address lookup to confirm the exact limits for a specific parcel in Des Moines, Iowa. The full report also covers permit requirements, prohibited sign types, and illumination rules — each cited to the source ordinance so your permit application can reference it directly.
Before you order or install a sign in Des Moines, confirm three things: the maximum sign area and height allowed in the parcel’s zoning district, the minimum setback from the right-of-way, and whether the sign type you want — freestanding, monument, wall, projecting, or awning — is permitted there at all. Many permit denials come from missing a setback or an overlay-district restriction rather than from the size of the sign itself, so checking the governing section before applying saves a costly resubmittal.
Census snapshot
Population
213,164
Median household income
$62,378
Median home value
$170,700
Time zone
Central Time
Demographic figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey) and are provided as jurisdiction context for Des Moines; they do not affect sign-code requirements.
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Ground sign setback
5' back from property line
Awning Signs
Awning Sign Sf Calc
Entire awning counts toward sf
Awning Projection Clearance
8' off grade, 3' off the wall; wall calculation used for awning sf; if landlord allows
Building Signs
Building Sign Formula
Not to exceed two sq ft per linear ft of wall frontage, to a max of 200 sf
Building Sign Max Number
Per street frontage; multiple signs allowed per elevation
2 sf, one per entrance/exit and handicap areas; no branding
Directional Max Height
4' off grade
Freestanding
Freestanding Ground Monument
Source-backed freestanding/ground/monument sign rules: his state, simple pole or ground sign supports shall provide a section-modulus at the point of maximum bending equal to or greater than that obtained from the following formula: S.M. - 0.0004615 × (AS) × (PW) × (HC) Where: S.M. = Section modulus. AS = Area of sign face in square feet. PW = Pressure of wind in pounds per square feet as determined from the building code HC = Height of in feet of centroid of sign area f
Source-backed sign permit requirement: 802. Sign and billboards permits required. (a) Except as provided in this division, it shall be unlawful for any person to erect, alter, relocate or maintain within the city any sign or sign structure, as defined in section 26-800, without first obtaining a permit issued by the zoning enforcement officer and making payment of the permit fee provided in this division. (b) A sign permit shall not be required for the fo
Permit Required 2
Source-backed sign permit requirement: son to erect, alter, relocate or maintain within the city any sign or sign structure, as defined in section 26-800, without first obtaining a permit issued by the zoning enforcement officer and making payment of the permit fee provided in this division. (b) A sign permit shall not be required for the following: (1) Identification signs not exceeding one square foot in area. (2) Memorial signs on buildings, showing on
Source-backed prohibited signs: e used. Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged, copyright 1993, shall be considered as providing ordinary accepted meanings. Approved plastic materials means those which are defined in the International Building Code. Billboard means all structures, regardless of the material, used in the construction of the structures that are erected, maintained or used for public display o
Prohibited Signs 2
Source-backed prohibited signs: terials means those which are defined in the International Building Code. Billboard means all structures, regardless of the material, used in the construction of the structures that are erected, maintained or used for public display of posters, painted signs, wall signs, whether the structure is placed on the wall or painted on the wall itself, pictures or other pictorial reading matter which advertise a business or
Source-backed traffic/fire safety rules: 807. Ground signs. (a) Ground signs may be constructed of any material meeting the requirements of the build- ing code, except as provided in sections 26-804 and 26-805 of this division. § 26-806 DES MOINES CODE [The next page is CD26:77] CD26:68 Supp. No. 18 (b) Ground signs shall be designed in accordance with the requirements specified in section 26-805 of this division. (c) Ground signs may have display surfaces
Temporary Signs
Temp Signs Allowed
Yes, permitted, requires its own permit; one per entrance or combined at corner
Temp Sign Rules
32 sf, 30 days, 8' high
Wall Signs
Wall Signs
Source-backed wall sign rules: ixed to a building, painted or otherwise, depicted on a building, or separate from any building. Nothing in this division shall be construed so as to prohibit ideological or noncommercial advertis- ing on any sign on which commercial advertising is permitted. Sign area means the total area contained within the faces of a sign; provided, however, that the area of a sign containing back-to-back sign faces or V-type sig
Wall Signs 2
Source-backed wall sign rules: ed within the faces of a sign; provided, however, that the area of a sign containing back-to-back sign faces or V-type sign faces with an internal angle of 45 degrees or less, attached to a single supporting structure, shall be the area of the larger separate sign face. The area of a sign composed of characters or words attached directly to a building or wall surface is the smallest rectangle which encloses the group