# Sign Regulations in West Hartford, Connecticut

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

- **Jurisdiction:** West Hartford, Connecticut (CT)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/connecticut/west-hartford
- **Data last verified:** 2025-11-05
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/7295598)

## At a glance

West Hartford, Connecticut regulates 30 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Name and Address Signs in the One-family residence districts (R-80, R-40, R-20, R-13, R-10, R-6) zoning district are capped at 1 square foot, with a 0 feet from property line setback (Sec. § 177-33E(1)). Most commercial signs in West Hartford require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| One-family residence districts (R-80, R-40, R-20, R-13, R-10, R-6) | 12 | — | 100 square feet | — |
| Multifamily residence districts (RM-4, RM-3, RM-3R, RM-2, RM-1, RM-MS, RO, RP) | 5 | — | 100 square feet aggregate | — |
| Business and industrial districts (BO, BOL, BN, BND, BS, BG, BC, CBDH, TOD, IP, IE, IG, IR) | 10 | 25 feet including supports | 15 square feet | — |
| Office District (BO) | 2 | — | 50 square feet | — |
| Office-Laboratory District (BOL) | 2 | — | 50 square feet | — |
| Residential Multifamily-Office Districts (RM/O) | 1 | — | 6 square feet per side | — |
| Residential Character-Office Districts (RCO) | 1 | — | 6 square feet per side | — |

_1 additional zoning district is covered in PermitPal (free account)._

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### One-family residence districts (R-80, R-40, R-20, R-13, R-10, R-6)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Name and Address Sign | — | 1 square foot | — | 0 feet from property line | 1 per lot | back of street line | — | § 177-33E(1) |
| Professional Occupation Sign | — | 1 square foot | — | 0 feet from property line | 1 per lot | back of street line | — | § 177-33E(2) |
| Special Use Permit Sign | — | 25 square feet | — | 15 feet from street line | 1 per lot | on premises | — | § 177-33E(3) |
| Sale Lease Rental Sign | — | 6 square feet per sign | — | 0 feet from property line | 2 per lot | back of street line | — | § 177-33E(4) |
| Construction Repair Sign | — | 25 square feet aggregate | — | 15 feet from street line | 2 per lot | on premises | — | § 177-33E(5) |
| Subdivision Development Sign | — | 35 square feet per sign | — | 15 feet from street line | 2 per subdivision | on premises | — | § 177-33E(6) |
| Civic Nonprofit Organization Sign | — | 25 square feet | — | 15 feet from street line | 1 per property | on premises | — | § 177-33E(7) |
| Holiday Decoration | — | No limit | — | 0 feet from property line | No limit | back of street line | — | § 177-33E(8) |

### Multifamily residence districts (RM-4, RM-3, RM-3R, RM-2, RM-1, RM-MS, RO, RP)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Name and Address Sign (Small Option) | — | 12 square feet | — | 15 feet from street line | 1 per street frontage | on premises | — | § 177-33F(2)(a)[1] |
| Name and Address Sign (Large Option) | — | 25 square feet | — | 30 feet from street line | 1 per street frontage | on premises | — | § 177-33F(2)(a)[2] |
| Rental Agency Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | 0 feet from property line | 1 per street frontage | back of street line | — | § 177-33F(3) |
| Construction Repair Sign | — | 100 square feet aggregate | — | 15 feet from street line | No limit (aggregate area limit) | on premises | — | § 177-33F(4) |
| Sale Lease Rental Sign | — | 100 square feet for 12 months; thereafter 25 square feet | — | 15 feet from street line | 1 per property | on premises | — | § 177-33F(5) |

### Business and industrial districts (BO, BOL, BN, BND, BS, BG, BC, CBDH, TOD, IP, IE, IG, IR)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Front Door Entrances Only) | — | — | — | 0 feet from property line | Per unit of occupancy | back of street line | — | § 177-33G(2)(a)[1][a] |
| Wall Sign (Front and Side/Rear Access) | — | — | — | 0 feet from property line | Per unit of occupancy | back of street line | — | § 177-33G(2)(a)[1][b] |
| Wall Sign (No Front Street Access) | — | — | — | 0 feet from property line | Per unit of occupancy | back of street line | — | § 177-33G(2)(a)[1][c] |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 feet including supports | — | — | 0 feet from property line | 1 per property | back of street line | — | § 177-33G(2)(a)[1][d] |
| ATM Freestanding Sign | — | 15 square feet | — | 0 feet from property line | Per ATM | back of street line | — | § 177-33G(2)(a)[1][e] |
| Common Sign | — | — | — | 0 feet from property line | 1 per entrance | within 10 feet of each entrance | — | § 177-33G(2)(b) |
| Window Sign | — | 6 square feet combined per window | — | — | 1 per window per unit | inside of window | — | § 177-33G(2)(c) |
| Portable Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | 0 feet from property line | 1 per unit per street frontage | back of street line | — | § 177-33G(2)(d) |

## Prohibited signs in West Hartford

- No sign shall project more than 18 inches from the face of a structure.
- No sign shall project more than 12 inches beyond any street line.
- No sign shall be less than 10 feet above the level of any walkway it may overhang.
- Signs permitted in business or industrial districts but prohibited in residential districts shall only be displayed on sides facing a street providing legal access, a residence parking district, or an abutting business/industrial lot, unless located at least 200 feet from any residential district.
- Ground signs, including supports, shall not exceed 8 feet in height in residential districts or 25 feet in business or industrial districts.
- No sign attached to a structure shall project more than 2 feet over the top of the exterior wall, except in industrial districts up to 12 feet if not within 500 feet of a residential district boundary.
- Where more than one sign is permitted on a building, such signs shall be of uniform height and shape.
- No flashing, rotating, or intermittent illumination shall be permitted, except for signs indicating time and/or temperature with white intermittent lighting not exceeding 5 feet in longest dimension.
- No sign or part thereof shall be mechanically rotated or moved, except traditional barbershop signs not exceeding 3 feet in longest dimension.
- Light sources of signs shall be designed and shielded so they cannot be seen from beyond the property lines, except for exposed neon tubes in business and industrial districts.
- Signs pertaining to a tenancy shall be removed within 30 days of termination of such tenancy.

## Signs exempt from permit in West Hartford

- Time and temperature signs using white intermittent lighting (longest dimension not exceeding 5 feet).
- Traditional barbershop signs (longest dimension not exceeding 3 feet).
- Exposed neon tube signs in business and industrial districts.

## 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 8 zoning districts in West Hartford — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=West+Hartford+CT&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-west-hartford

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