Illinois Interstate Highway Exit Business Logo Signs

About the LOGO Program

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) administers a Business Logo Signing Program along various Interstate highways and other freeways. This program involves mounting gas, food, lodging, camping, tourism, attraction and 24-hour pharmacy signs, referred to as logos, on large blue-background panels in advance of interchange exits and along exit ramps to alert motorists of available motorist services.

The program includes all sections of Interstate highways and other freeways except those passing through densely populated urbanized areas where logo signing would overload motorists with information that is not essential to their safe travel. It does not apply to highways under the jurisdiction of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.

How the Program Works

Where sufficient room is available between interchanges, a maximum of four freeway panels will be erected within the right-of-way of a freeway after approval by IDOT of an application for a type of service.

Freeway panels will not be installed at any interchange where motorists cannot easily reenter the freeway and continue in the same direction of travel. Where sufficient room is not available in advance of an interchange to install four panels, only the number of panels that can be properly spaced will be installed.

A freeway panel may have a maximum of six logos for gas, food, lodging, camping, tourism, attraction and 24-hour pharmacies. Where there are more than six eligible businesses desiring signing for a given type of service, those closest to the nearest exit ramp will be considered first.

The logos must be designed, fabricated, and furnished by the business, at their expense, to IDOT.  A list of approved vendors is provided by IDOT when the initial application is submitted. Banner Man has been an IDOT-approved logo sign vendor since 1995.

IDOT charges a $100 processing fee in addition to the annual fees for displaying a business logo. The principal fees are $200 for each freeway panel, and $130 for each ramp panel. The total fee for an individual business depends upon how many and what type of logo signs are displayed.

What Businesses are Eligible

Businesses offering gas, food, lodging, attraction and 24-hour pharmacy must be within 1 mile of the interchange in urban areas and 3 miles in rural areas. Campgrounds must be within 5 miles in urban areas and 20 miles in rural areas.

All business must be open 7 days a week year round. There are two exceptions. Restaurants may be open 6 days a week and campgrounds may close seasonally.

Requesting and Submitting an Application

To request and submit an artwork application, contact the IDOT district LOGO coordinator for your county.

 Click here for a map of IDOT Districts

IDOT District Logo Coordinator Phone Numbers & E-Mail Links

District 1 (Schaumburg): Mike Palello  (847) 705-4604  Michael.Palello@illinois.gov

District 2 (Dixon):  Kevin Henson  (815) 284-5474  Kevin.Henson@illinois.gov

District 3 (Ottawa):  Paul Witczak  (815) 434-8465 Paul.Witczak@illinois.gov

District 4 (Peoria):  Nancy Everett  (309) 671-4465  Nancy.Everett@illinois.gov

District 5 (Paris):  Kevin Trapp  (217) 466-7233  Kevin.Trapp@illinois.gov

District 6 (Springfield):  Kurt Cuffle (217) 524-8923 Kurt.Cuffle@Illinois.gov

District 7 (Effingham):  Clint Bergbower  (217) 342-8289  Clinton.Bergbower@illinois.gov

District 8 (Collinsville):  Richard Barbee (618)  346-3273  Richard.Barbee@illinois.gov

District 9 (Carbondale): Cynthia Deterding  (618) 351-5246  Cynthia.Deterding@illinois.gov