City of Indianola Sign Code Regulations

Yard signs are great ways to share messages with the public. However, as we gear up for Election Day on November 5, the City of Indianola wants to remind residents and property owners of the guidelines for non-commercial signs - such as political signs - within City limits, as outlined in our Sign Code Regulations (Chapter 165.10).

Political (Non-Commercial) Sign Regulations

The following regulations apply to political (non-commercial) signs:

• Must have the permission of the property owner or lessee.
• Signs shall not be in the public right-of-way (park strip; from back of sidewalk to back of sidewalk) and cannot obstruct visibility at intersections.
  • Generally, visibility at intersections would include a 25'x25' visibility triangle at the intersection.
• Signs must be located at least 5 feet from all property lines and located on private property.
• Signs cannot be placed/attached to rocks, fences, trees, firefighting equipment, or utility equipment.
• Signs can be in place for a period of 6 months, afterwards they must be removed and could be replaced with a new sign.

Sign Areas for Zoned Properties

• For residentially zoned properties (R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4) and A-1 zoned properties: Maximum sign area allowed is 8 square feet.
• For commercial zoned properties (C-1, C-2, and C-3) and industrial zoned properties (M-1 and M-2): Maximum sign area allowed is 32 square feet.

If you are unsure what a property is zoned, please visit the City's website at https://www.indianolaiowa.gov/206/City-Zoning-Map.

Complaints & Enforcement

Signage that does not meet sign code regulations, and are located within City limits, may be reported to the Community Development Department by submitting a complaint online. If signage is found to be noncompliant with the City's sign code regulations, enforcement may occur.

The type of enforcement procedure that occurs may depend on the placement of the signage:

• Signs in the Right-of-Way or City-Owned Property: For signage improperly placed in the right-of-way or other City-owned property, the sign may be removed by Community Development staff, and you will be contacted to pick up your signage within 5 business days. Signage not picked up within this allotted time frame may be discarded.
• Signage on Private Property, Noncompliant: For signage not meeting sign code requirements, including setbacks to property lines, size, mounting/installation, etc., the property owner will receive a code enforcement letter and will be given a time limit of 10 days to adjust/remove accordingly.

Please note that this is a summary of City of Indianola Code requirements, and these laws do not apply outside of the corporate limits of the City. For signs located in unincorporated Warren County, please refer to Warren County Code requirements. Furthermore, this summary does not include those requirements found in Section 68A.406 of the Iowa Code.

If you have any questions or require additional assistance, please contact the Community Development Department at [email protected] or 515-961-9430.

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