What to know about digital signage in Peoria
Window signs: no permit, 25% of the glass
A window sign is any sign on or within 3 feet of a window meant to attract people outside. Peoria needs no permit for window signs, but non-residential uses may cover at most 25% of the window area on one side of a building. At most two signs may be internally illuminated, up to 2 square feet each.
Drive-through signs have their own limits
A drive-through restaurant may have two signs per lane, up to 6 feet tall and 36 square feet each. Changeable copy is allowed on them, with a permit. Downtown, drive-through service of any kind is prohibited.
Changeable copy is banned unless the code allows it
Peoria prohibits changeable-copy signs, electronic ones included, except where the sign code specifically permits them. Electronic message centers are for permanent signs where changeable copy is allowed. A message that changes no more than twice a day isn't treated as flashing.
An indoor screen near the glass is a question for the city
The sign code doesn't say whether an indoor TV or LED screen facing a window counts as a window sign. We ask the city's sign reviewer before a screen goes up facing the glass.
What digital signage includes
A signage system is the screens, a small player behind each one, and software you log into to change what they show. Menu boards, specials, a welcome screen, a TV loop with prices: all the same system, different content.
Content updates from a browser. You can change one screen or all of them, and schedule changes by time of day, such as breakfast, lunch and happy hour menus.
Choosing screens
Commercial displays are built to run all day and can handle brighter rooms than consumer TVs. For a menu board or a screen in a sunny window, brightness matters more than resolution. Portrait and landscape both work, and several screens can show one large image or separate content.
- Brightness for the room: a dim lounge and a sunny storefront need different screens.
- Orientation: portrait for a hallway or retail display, landscape for a menu board.
- Mounts that hide power and signal behind the screen.
- Network or cable runs to each player.
Signage and Peoria's sign code
Peoria adopted its current sign code, Ordinance 2025-01, on January 14, 2025. It defines a window sign as one meant to attract people outside but doesn't say whether an indoor screen counts, so any screen facing the street or a window is a question for the city.
For drive-through signs, the code allows two per lane with changeable copy and a permit. For storefronts, we keep promotional screens inside and away from the glass, or we check the window rules first. The city's number is (623) 773-7000.
Menus that update without a call
Because the screens run on software, a price change or a sold-out item takes a minute, not a reprint. Staff or a manager can be given access to only the screens they need. We set up the first menus with you, then show your team how to edit them.
Getting screens on the wall
- Pick screen spots by viewing angle, power and network.
- Choose screens, players and software, with a quote.
- Mount and cable around your business hours.
- Load your first content and show your team how to edit it.
- Service is Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Where signage fits in
Signage often shares a rack and network with TV and video distribution. Retail jobs often add LED walls and security cameras. The rest of our local services are on the Enzo in Peoria page.
