A sign permit is required to erect, enlarge, expand, alter, operate, or relocate a sign within the Village. Please note the Village updated its sign regulations in November 2020. Please see the Village Code or click here for the current regulations.
Please note that new permit applications and contractor licenses must be applied for online at riverforest.onlama.com.
Need help applying online? Registering as a new user?
To expedite review, please be sure to submit the following with the permit application found below.
-
Plans and specifications showing the location on the lot or building face and the methods of construction, illumination and support
-
A scale drawing showing sign faces, exposed surfaces and the proposed message and design, accurately represented as to size, area, proportion and color
-
Photographs of the street sides of the property, showing all existing signs
-
A calculation of the total amount of sign area presently on the property
-
The applicant's assertion that the sum of the areas of the requested sign and any existing sign do not exceed the maximum allowed
-
Evidence of a valid business license (when required)
-
Letter from a licensed architect, structural engineer, or sign manufacturer/installation company verifying the structural integrity, safety and overall soundness of the sign design and installation
Click here and navigate to "Other Permits" for the application form.
Work hours in the Village of River Forest:
- 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. - Monday through Friday
- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Saturdays
- No work on Sundays, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas
Prohibited signs
The following signs are specifically prohibited:
| Attention-Getting Devices |
Moving or Animated |
Roof Signs |
A Sign on Public Property |
| Box Signs |
Off-Premises* |
Temporary Signs |
Sign Painted Directly on a Wall or Fence |
| Electronic Reader Board* |
Outline Lighting |
Vehicle/Trailer |
Ground Sign More than 15 Feet Above Grade of Adjacent Residential District |
| Home Occupation |
Portable Signs |
Sign on Tree, Utility or Light Pole |
Construction Signs in Residential Neighborhoods other than the Sign or Permit Placard Required by the Village |
*These signs may be approved as part of a Planned Development