# Sign Regulations in Ellington, Connecticut

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Ellington, Connecticut (CT)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/connecticut/ellington
- **Data last verified:** 2025-11-05
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1758633930/ellingtonctgov/kmvuwv4mj5o5u2fzj4nk/ZoningRegsw-cover_EFFECTIVE_09-15-2025.pdf#page=57)

## At a glance

Ellington, Connecticut regulates 12 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Temporary Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 5 feet tall and 12 square feet, with a 6 feet or 15 feet from edge of pavement depending on size (see sign_size_restrictions). setback (Sec. 6.3.8). Most commercial signs in Ellington require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 10 feet | 15 square feet | — |
| Residential Zones (R, RAR, LR, DMF, MF) | 4 | 8 feet | 24 square feet (one side only) | — |
| C, PC, I, and IP Zones | 6 | 10 feet | 200 square feet (per sign) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign | 5 feet | 12 square feet | — | 6 feet or 15 feet from edge of pavement depending on size (see sign_size_restrictions). | 2 per business (exceptions for multiple businesses, multiple streets, agriculture). | On property or lot of the business, or offsite in commercial or industrial zone with permission. Not on telephone poles, highway signs, or sidewalks. | — | 6.3.8 |
| Temporary Open Flag | 10 feet | 15 square feet | — | 15 feet from edge of roadway pavement. | 1 per business | Affixed to permanent building or detached sign if possible; otherwise permanent flagpole or fence. Not closer than 15 feet to edge of roadway pavement. | — | 6.3.8 C.18 |

### Residential Zones (R, RAR, LR, DMF, MF)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign | 5 feet | 24 square feet (one side only) | — | 3 feet from all lot lines; sight line setback requirements. | 2 at each entrance | At each entrance to a residential subdivision, on private property. | — | 6.3.4 A |
| Occupant Name/Address Sign | 4 feet | 2 square feet | — | 5 feet | 1 | On property. | — | 6.3.4 Table 6.3.4 |
| Permitted Non-Residential Uses Sign | 5 feet | 6 square feet | — | 15 feet | 1 | On property. | — | 6.3.4 Table 6.3.4 |
| Church Sign and/or Bulletin Board | 8 feet | 16 square feet | — | 15 feet | 1 | On property, in conjunction with church, places of worship, parks, public facilities, public/private schools/colleges. | — | 6.3.4 Table 6.3.4 |

### C, PC, I, and IP Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per business (more for multiple facades/streets, total area limited) | Attached to building facade (one per business; more if multiple streets, limited to 1 per facade). | — | 6.3.5 |
| Wall Sign - Large Anchor Business | — | 200 square feet (per sign) | — | — | Multiple allowed under conditions | Attached to building facade. | — | 6.3.6 |
| Freestanding Sign (Within 65 feet of front lot line, Less than 8 feet height) | Less than 8 feet | 32 square feet | — | 15 feet from all lot lines | 1 per lot/shopping center/business park/farm | Within front yard, on private property. | — | 6.3.7 A |
| Freestanding Sign (Within 65 feet of front lot line, 8 to 10 feet height) | 8 to 10 feet | 20 square feet | — | 15 feet from all lot lines | 1 per lot/shopping center/business park/farm | Within front yard, on private property. | — | 6.3.7 A |
| Freestanding Sign (More than 65 feet from front lot line) | 10 feet | 50 square feet | — | 15 feet from all lot lines | 1 per lot/shopping center/business park/farm | Within front yard, on private property. | — | 6.3.7 A |
| Detached Sign - Fuel Filling Station | As per Freestanding Sign requirements (max 10 feet) | As per Freestanding Sign requirements (electronic fuel price copy <=35% of total area) | — | 15 feet from all lot lines | 1 per fuel filling station | Within front yard, on private property, in landscaped area. | — | 6.3.7 B |

## Prohibited signs in Ellington

- Portable, wheel signs, or signs on parked vehicles where the sign is the primary use of the vehicle
- Neon signs, as well as signs which revolve, rotate, flash or move in any manner, or give the appearance of movement
- Advertising flags, teardrop flags; banners, streamers or balloons
- Roof mounted signs which project more than two feet over the top of the exterior wall on which it is attached (except roof mounted signs greater than 80 square feet in area may project up to three (3) feet over the top of the exterior wall on which it is attached)
- Billboards
- Light emitting diode (LED) illumination of signs, including exteriors of windows, doors, and other building features, or visible from the exterior of the building through windows or doors unless the LED illumination source is shielded so that no direct observation of the LED light source is possible

## Signs exempt from permit in Ellington

- Government flags
- Signs erected or posted and maintained for public safety and welfare or pursuant to any government function, law, by-law, or other regulation
- Directional signs containing no advertising material and not exceeding three square feet in area or greater than four feet in height
- Roof shingles used to identify a farm as defined by the definition for Sign-Agricultural, limited to the roof of one agricultural building per individual property

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Any property containing two or more businesses shall submit a unified sign design to the Planning and Zoning Commission for site plan approval
- At the discretion of the Commission, other signs within these zones may require site plan approval, including submission of an application and plan with specified details (name/address/phone, location, consent, plot plan, location map, drawings, landscaping, lighting)
- The following signs shall require a special permit: any sign used in conjunction with a use regulated by special permit; any and all signs used in conjunction with a shopping plaza, industrial park, or office complex
- All detached signs shall be placed within a landscaped area, with extent/type of landscaping and location shown on a site plan submitted to the Commission for approval or to the Zoning Enforcement Officer to replace an existing sign
- Following the erection of all new detached signs approved by the Commission in a C, PC, I, or IP Zone, or when required by an agent of the Commission for a replacement sign, an 'As Built Map' shall be prepared certified to Class A-2 standards by a Registered Land Surveyor
- For fuel filling stations with detached electronic fuel price signs, the extent and type of landscaping and location shall be shown on a site plan submitted to the Commission for approval or to the Zoning Enforcement Officer to replace an existing sign
- Conversion from a non-electronic fuel price sign to an electronic fuel price sign shall require the replacement of the entire sign in compliance with Section 6.3 - Signs

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Ellington, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Ellington+CT&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-ellington

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