Do I need a permit for a new sign in Franklin?
Yes. Franklin's Chapter 17.36 requires a sign permit before you put up, enlarge, move or convert a sign.
Indiana · LOCAL MARKET GUIDE
Franklin's Jefferson Street, Youngs Creek Park and Exit 90 Business Parks
Franklin is the seat of Johnson County, and State Road 44 enters town from the west as Jefferson Street before it meets I-65 at Exit 90. Along the way it crosses US 31, where a 5.6-mile state project is changing how drivers cross and turn. The Saturday farmers market meets at the Youngs Creek Park amphitheater, just west of downtown.
Book a free Franklin strategy callExplore Indiana agency servicesThe Johnson County seat south of Indianapolis
- Franklin, Indiana, is the county seat of Johnson County. The Franklin Chamber calls it a historic community of about 25,000 people just south of Indianapolis, anchored by the county courthouse and Franklin College. Franklin Chamber of Commerce
- Census estimates put Franklin at 26,743 residents in 2025, up an estimated 514 people, or about 2%, from 2024. Daily Journal
- KYB Americas Corporation, a maker of shocks and struts for Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru and Mitsubishi, is headquartered in Franklin. KYB says its Franklin plant employs more than 700 people. KYB Americas
Courthouse Square, Artcraft Theatre and Jefferson Street
- The Franklin Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 13, 1989. It covers 32 contributing buildings in the central business district, roughly along East and West Court Street and Jefferson, Monroe and Main streets. Wikipedia
- The Johnson County Courthouse was built between 1879 and 1881 to a design by George W. Bunting, one of Indiana's most prolific courthouse architects. Its central and corner towers, topped with slate roofs shaped like pyramids, are its signature. Historic Indianapolis
- The Historic Artcraft Theatre downtown was built in 1922 for vaudeville and silent films, and it now shows classic films and hosts special events. Franklin Heritage, Inc., a local preservation nonprofit, bought it after a brief closure in the late 1990s. City of Franklin
- Visit Indiana's 2026 guide to downtown Franklin says a walk along Jefferson Street passes nearly a dozen vintage and antique shops. It also passes boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants, with the courthouse at the center. Visit Indiana
- There's free public parking around the Johnson County Courthouse Square and in three lots west, northwest and north of the Garment Factory Events building. Discover Downtown Franklin publishes a map of the public parking lots. Garment Factory Events
US 31 from South Main Street to Israel Lane
- INDOT's US 31 Corridor Improvement Project covers the 5.6 miles of US 31 inside Franklin's city limits, from South Main Street to Israel Lane. It touches every intersection in the corridor and adds pedestrian paths along the full length, and the Franklin Chamber keeps a project page for businesses. Franklin Chamber of Commerce
- Under the plan, Jefferson Street and Commerce Drive are the only through-street crossings of US 31 left in Franklin. Other intersections become reduced conflict intersections, which people also call Michigan lefts or J-turns. INDOT
- Phase 3 of the US 31 work began on or after March 2, 2026, between Franklin Lakes Boulevard and Westview Drive/North Main Street. It builds reduced conflict intersections at Hospital Road, Madison Street, West King Street, Banta Street, Mallory Parkway and Lemley Street. Daily Journal
Exit 90, State Road 44 and two business parks
- I-65 Exit 90 is a diamond interchange with State Road 44. It serves Franklin, immediately to the west, and Shelbyville, about 20 miles to the east. AARoads
- State Road 44 enters Franklin from the west as Jefferson Street. It crosses US 31 and continues east on Forsythe and King streets to I-65. Wikipedia
- Franklin Tech Park is a 345-acre business park in the southeast quadrant of I-65 and State Road 44. Indianapolis-based Denison Properties broke ground in 2001, when industrial development at the interchange largely began. Indianapolis Business Journal
- Sunbeam Development's I-65 South Commerce Park sits north of State Road 44 at Exit 90. Its first building became an Amazon sorting center, announced in January 2022, and the park could reach 6.8 million square feet across nine buildings. The Republic
Youngs Creek Park, the market and Franklin's festivals
- Youngs Creek Park, Franklin's newest park, has an accessible playground, a splash pad, an amphitheater, an event lawn, Greenway trails and eight pickleball courts. The DriveHubler.com Amphitheater is at 237 West Monroe Street, just west of downtown. Festival Country Indiana
- The Franklin Farmers Market runs Saturdays from 8 am to noon, May through September, at the DriveHubler.com Amphitheater in Youngs Creek Park. It has about 100 booth spaces and averages about 2,000 visitors a week. AgriNews
- The 2026 Franklin Fall Festival was set for Saturday, September 26 at the DriveHubler.com Amphitheater in Youngs Creek Park. Plans included a parade, a Dachshund Derby, food trucks, hay rides, 131 vendors and a fireworks finale. Daily Journal
- The 2026 Johnson County Fair ran July 19 to 25 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, 250 Fairground Street in Franklin. Its parade went through downtown on Saturday, July 18, at 1 pm, and admission was free. Johnson County Fair
- Discover Downtown Franklin lists the 2026 holiday lighting for Saturday, December 5, with a winter market and a lighted parade at 5:30 pm. The courthouse square lighting is at 7 pm, and a second event on Saturday, December 19 adds fireworks, ice skating and light displays. Discover Downtown Franklin
Permits and home businesses in Franklin
- Franklin's Department of Planning and Engineering handles engineering, current planning, zoning, building inspections and code enforcement. The city's fee schedule, updated July 13, 2021, lists signage among its permit types, so ask the department what your project needs. City of Franklin
- The city's Zoning Ordinance lists Home Occupation Standards at Section 7.7. If you run a business from home, start with that section and check with the city about the details. City of Franklin
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