Every outdoor sign in Harvard 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 Harvard 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 Harvard.
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 Harvard, Illinois. 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 Harvard, 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.
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Max ground sign height
Max 5 ft above ground grade elevation.
Ground sign setback
At least 8 ft from the nearest interior lot line.
Authority
Sign Chapter Scope
Source-backed sign ordinance/chapter scope: 4.01 PURPOSE This chapter is established for the following purposes: 1. To limit the size and height of signs placed on buildings or on the ground. 2. To regulate signs which advertise products, businesses or services not on the premises with the sign. 3. To control the placement of illuminated or reflective signs. 4. To locate signs in specific areas. 5. To permit temporary signs in strict accordance with specific a
Sign Chapter Scope 2
Source-backed sign ordinance/chapter scope: 4.08 NON-CONFORMING SIGNS Any sign, awning, marquee or canopy which lawfully existed prior to September 6, 1988, and which become nonconforming by reason of the adoption of this Chapter 14, may be maintained only as follows: 1. No such nonconforming sign, awning, marquee or canopy shall be repaired, altered or moved, nor shall any sign, awning, marquee or canopy which is blown down, destroyed or removed by being re-e
Source-backed freestanding/ground/monument sign rules: e permitted. 2. A sign shall not have more than 12 square feet of area and it shall be located not less than eight feet from the nearest interior lot line. Such a sign, when affixed to a building wall, shall not project higher than ten feet above grade, and a ground sign shall not project higher than five feet above the ground grade elevation below it.
Source-backed illumination rules: ight-of-way lines and no nearer than 20 feet from a lot line of an adjacent lot; and d. Shall be removed within three months after construction of the development is completed, or one year after the first dwelling unit is occupied, whichever is sooner. 5. One off-premise billboard sign, not exceeding 16 square feet, shall be permitted for each subdivision under construction subject to the following: a. Maximum sign h
Illumination 2
Source-backed illumination rules: lines and no nearer than 20 feet from a lot line of an adjacent lot; and d. Shall be removed within three months after construction of the development is completed, or one year after the first dwelling unit is occupied, whichever is sooner. 5. One off-premise billboard sign, not exceeding 16 square feet, shall be permitted for each subdivision under construction subject to the following: a. Maximum sign height shall
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Permits
Permit Required
Source-backed sign permit requirement: 4.11 SIGN PERMIT All permitted signs shall require an application for and the issuance of a sign permit from the City indicating that the sign conforms to the provisions of this Code before it may be erected. Sign permits shall be administered by the Building Department. (Ord. 97-126, §4, 1997)
Prohibited
Prohibited Signs
Source-backed prohibited signs: 4.09 OFF PREMISES SIGNS Except as provided herein, off-premise signs are strictly prohibited in any zoning district. (Ord. 2000-105, §2)
Prohibited Signs 2
Source-backed prohibited signs: 4.10 TEMPORARY/PORTABLE SIGNS A temporary or portable sign, as defined in Appendix A herein, shall be prohibited in any use district for more than 30 cumulative days in any calendar year. Temporary and portable signs include those signs designed for mobility using wheels or statuary. Any temporary or portable signs currently used within the City and in violation of this Code shall be removed 30 days from the date of
Temporary
Temporary Signs
Source-backed temporary sign rules: 4.02 SIGNS HMC14:3 C. Identification Signs/Non-Resident Uses: Such signs shall be permitted in accordance with the following regulations: 1. One identification sign affixed flat against a building wall and one ground sign which, in both cases, may be illuminated by nonflashing direct or indirect illumination arranged in a manner that direct rays of light are not beamed onto adjoining lots and streets, shall be permit
Temporary Signs 2
Source-backed temporary sign rules: lot or the street adjoining the rear lot line of a through lot. 3. Each sign shall contain not more than 16 square feet of area and when: a. Affixed to a building wall, it shall not project higher than ten feet above floor grade at entrance doorways; and b. A ground sign shall not be located nearer than eight feet from the nearest interior lot line and not less than one-half the depth of the required yard from the ne