# Sign Regulations in Coventry, Connecticut

Sign permit rules, size and height limits, setbacks, and ordinance citations for Coventry, Connecticut, compiled by PermitPal from the jurisdiction's published municipal code.

- **Jurisdiction:** Coventry, Connecticut (CT)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/connecticut/coventry
- **Data last verified:** 2025-11-05
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://www.coventry-ct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9347/FINAL-3-28-25-ZONING-REGULATIONS#page=53)

## At a glance

Coventry, Connecticut regulates 10 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign - Apartment/Condominium Developments in the Village Residence (VR) zoning district are capped at 12 feet tall and 24 square feet, with a 10 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 10 feet from lot side lines setback (Sec. Section 5.01.05 a). Most commercial signs in Coventry require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Residential 40 (GR-40), General Residential 80 (GR-80), Lake Residential (LR), River/Aquifer (R/A) | 3 | 12 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Village Residence (VR) | 9 | 12 feet | 300 square feet | — |
| Commercial/Agricultural (C/A), Commercial (C) | 6 | 15 feet | 300 square feet | — |
| Gateway (G), Village Center (VC) | 6 | 15 feet | 300 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### Village Residence (VR)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign - Apartment/Condominium Building | — | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per building | Attached flat against building | — | Section 5.01.05 a |
| Freestanding Sign - Apartment/Condominium Development | 12 feet | 24 square feet | — | 10 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 10 feet from lot side lines | 1 per development | On the lot within property lines | — | Section 5.01.05 a |
| Freestanding Sign - Subdivision | 12 feet | 32 square feet | — | 10 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 10 feet from lot side lines | 1 per subdivision (10+ lots) | At location approved by Commission | — | Section 5.01.05 b |
| Freestanding Sign - Gasoline Station | 12 feet | 60 square feet | — | 10 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 10 feet from lot side lines; 50 feet from abutting residential zone | 1 per lot | Within property lines | — | Section 5.01.06 b |
| Freestanding Sign - Other | 12 feet | The greater of 50 square feet or 6 square feet per tenant | — | 10 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 10 feet from lot side lines; 50 feet from abutting residential zone | 1 per lot | Within property lines | — | Section 5.01.06 b |
| Directional Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per driveway | At access driveways, outside public road right-of-way | — | Section 5.01.06 c |
| Unified Complex Sign - Freestanding | 12 feet | 20 square feet | — | 10 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 10 feet from lot side lines; 50 feet from abutting residential zone | 1 additional | Free-standing within property lines | — | Section 5.01.06 d |
| Unified Complex Sign - Exterior | — | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 additional | On principal building wall | — | Section 5.01.06 d |

### Commercial/Agricultural (C/A), Commercial (C)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 300 square feet | — | — | — | Painted on or applied to the principal building wall | — | Section 5.01.06 a |
| Freestanding Sign - Gasoline Station | 15 feet | 60 square feet | — | 20 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 15 feet from lot side lines; 50 feet from abutting residential zone | 1 per lot | Within property lines | — | Section 5.01.06 b |
| Freestanding Sign - Other | 15 feet | The greater of 50 square feet or 6 square feet per tenant | — | 20 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 15 feet from lot side lines; 50 feet from abutting residential zone | 1 per lot | Within property lines | — | Section 5.01.06 b |
| Directional Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per driveway | At access driveways, outside public road right-of-way | — | Section 5.01.06 c |
| Unified Complex Sign - Freestanding | 15 feet | 20 square feet | — | 20 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 15 feet from lot side lines; 50 feet from abutting residential zone | 1 additional | Free-standing within property lines | — | Section 5.01.06 d |
| Unified Complex Sign - Exterior | — | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 additional | On principal building wall | — | Section 5.01.06 d |

### Gateway (G), Village Center (VC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 300 square feet | — | — | — | Painted on or applied to the principal building wall | — | Section 5.01.06 a |
| Freestanding Sign - Gasoline Station | 15 feet | 60 square feet | — | 10 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 10 feet from lot side lines; 50 feet from abutting residential zone | 1 per lot | Within property lines | — | Section 5.01.06 b |
| Freestanding Sign - Other | 15 feet | The greater of 50 square feet or 6 square feet per tenant | — | 10 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 10 feet from lot side lines; 50 feet from abutting residential zone | 1 per lot | Within property lines | — | Section 5.01.06 b |
| Directional Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per driveway | At access driveways, outside public road right-of-way | — | Section 5.01.06 c |
| Unified Complex Sign - Freestanding | 15 feet | 20 square feet | — | 10 feet from paved street or traveled unpaved street; 10 feet from lot side lines; 50 feet from abutting residential zone | 1 additional | Free-standing within property lines | — | Section 5.01.06 d |
| Unified Complex Sign - Exterior | — | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 additional | On principal building wall | — | Section 5.01.06 d |

## Prohibited signs in Coventry

- Except as otherwise provided, signs shall only be allowed on the same lot as the associated use.
- Exterior illumination of signs is permitted only if the illumination is confined or directed solely to the surface of the sign. Internally lit signs are not permitted except on lots used for nonresidential purposes in the C and CA zones.
- Except as these Regulations may otherwise expressly allow, no sign or any part thereof shall be electronically or mechanically rotated or moved, or to have any visible electronic or mechanical movement of any description.
- No sign shall be placed within ten feet of the paved portion of any street, or within ten feet of the traveled portion of any unpaved street.
- Ground signs, including supports, shall not exceed a height of twelve (12) feet in the GR-40, GR-80, LR, R/A, and VR zones, or fifteen (15) feet in any other zone.
- No sign attached to a structure shall project more than six (6) feet over the highest point of the roof of such structure.
- All signs shall be properly maintained and shall not be allowed to fall into disrepair. Signs that are not properly maintained and fall into disrepair shall be removed by the property owner.

## Signs exempt from permit in Coventry

- Signs erected by a Town, State or federal official or agency on property owned by or within the control of the Town, State or federal government do not require a permit.
- Two (2) signs per lot, one not exceeding four (4) square feet and the other not exceeding one (1) square foot, may be attached flat against any building without a permit. Two (2) additional signs of the same sizes may be installed at any other location on the lot without a permit.
- Signs required by any applicable law, or required to protect property owners from potential legal liabilities (e.g., 'no trespassing' signs), do not require a permit.
- One sign no greater than forty (40) square feet may be erected for up to sixty (60) days prior to elections, referendums, or certain events, and removed within five (5) days after, without a permit.
- Signs for property for sale or rent: one sign up to four (4) square feet on residential property; up to twenty (20) square feet on commercial/industrial; additional off-site directional signs up to four (4) square feet, without a permit.
- Signs on the inside of commercial building windows, covering no more than thirty percent (30%) of any single window, do not require a permit.
- One or two signs up to twelve (12) square feet each on farming lots selling agricultural products, without a permit.
- One sign up to four (4) square feet for tag/yard/garage sales, for up to seven (7) days, without a permit.
- Artistic paintings, sculptures, and similar works of art without commercial messages are not deemed signs, provided they comply with other requirements; larger artworks are structures subject to yard/setback rules.
- Signs affixed to gasoline and diesel fuel pumps do not require a permit.
- Town-owned property is exempt from the provisions of Section 5.01.
- Barber poles, clocks, and time and/or temperature displays are exempt from the no-movement prohibition.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Applications for sign permits require a site plan showing lot dimensions, sign locations, distances from roads/property lines/buildings, and an illustration of the sign including dimensions, materials, illumination, and support.
- For residential subdivisions of ten (10) or more lots, sign location is approved by the Commission at the time of subdivision approval.
- For unified commercial, industrial, or office complexes of five (5) acres or more approved as a single special permit or non-residential subdivision, one additional sign may be authorized by special permit.

## Full detail

This page publishes an overview of every zoning district plus a sample of 3 districts in full. Complete zone-by-zone requirements for all 5 zoning districts in Coventry — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Coventry+CT&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-coventry

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/connecticut/coventry