# Sign Regulations in Boothbay Harbor Town, Maine

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Boothbay Harbor Town, Maine (ME)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/maine/boothbay-harbor-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/8627274#8627274)

## At a glance

Boothbay Harbor Town, Maine regulates 37 sign types across 10 zoning districts. Freestanding Business Signs in the Downtown business district zoning district are capped at 12 ft tall and 32 sq ft per sign (Sec. §146-5.1E(2)(a)[1], (1)(a)). Most commercial signs in Boothbay Harbor Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (10 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Residential Zoning District | 5 | — | 16 sq ft | — |
| Special Residential Zoning District | 5 | — | 16 sq ft | — |
| Resource Protection District | 1 | — | 5 sq ft | — |
| General business district (North of Route 96) | 6 | 18 ft | 64 sq ft per lot | — |
| General business district (South of Route 96) | 6 | 14 ft | 50% of window area (except seasonal events may exceed 25% for 21 days) | — |
| Downtown business district | 11 | 12 ft | 48 sq ft per sign or 15% of building face | — |
| Maritime/Water Dependent District | 8 | 16 ft | 84 sq ft (location and/or business signs combined) | — |
| Meadow Business District, Limited Commercial/Maritime District, Working Waterfront District | 1 | — | Per district sign area limit | — |
| Shoreline Zone | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 18 | 18 ft (unless district standard less) | Not to exceed 50% of glass area | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 10 zones)

### Downtown business district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Business Sign | 12 ft | 32 sq ft per sign | — | — | 1 per business | Street front or waterfront | — | §146-5.1E(2)(a)[1], (1)(a) |
| Freestanding Location Sign | 12 ft | 16 sq ft per sign | — | — | 1 per location | Street front or waterfront | — | §146-5.1E(2)(a)[2], (1)(a) |
| Freestanding Advertising Sign (including marques) | 12 ft | 8 sq ft per sign, 24 sq ft per business | — | — | Up to 3 per business | Street front or waterfront | — | §146-5.1E(2)(a)[3], (1)(a) |
| Building Face Business Sign | — | 48 sq ft per sign or 15% of building face | — | — | 1 per side | Building face/side | — | §146-5.1E(2)(b)[1] |
| Building Face Location Sign | — | 32 sq ft or 15% of building face | — | — | 1 per side | Building face/side | — | §146-5.1E(2)(b)[2] |
| Building Face Advertising Sign | — | 10 sq ft per sign, 32 sq ft per side | — | — | — | Building face/side | — | §146-5.1E(2)(b)[3] |
| Cluster or Congregate Location Sign | — | 32 sq ft (max for location sign) | 8 ft | — | — | — | — | §146-5.1E(2)(c)[1], [3] |
| Waterfront Business or Location Sign | — | 15% of building face, 1 per side (either business or location) | — | — | 1 per side | Waterfront/building side | — | §146-5.1E(2)(d)[1] |

### Maritime/Water Dependent District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding or Cluster Sign | 16 ft | 48 sq ft (street front, single or combo location/business) | — | — | — | Street front | — | §146-5.1F(1)(a), (2)(a)[1] |
| Building Side Business Sign | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | 1 per side | Building side | — | §146-5.1F(2)(b)[1] |
| Building Side Location Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per side | Building side | — | §146-5.1F(2)(b)[2] |
| Building Side Advertising Sign | — | 10 sq ft per sign, 32 sq ft per side | — | — | — | Building side | — | §146-5.1F(2)(b)[3] |
| Cluster Location/Business Sign | — | 84 sq ft (location and/or business signs combined) | 8 ft | — | — | — | — | §146-5.1F(2)(c)[1], [2] |
| Waterfront Business or Location Sign | — | 15% of building face, 1 per side (either business or location) | — | — | 1 per side | Waterfront/building side | — | §146-5.1F(2)(d)[1] |
| Waterfront Advertising Sign | — | 32 sq ft per sign, 48 sq ft per side | — | — | — | Waterfront/building side | — | §146-5.1F(2)(d)[2] |
| Window Sign | — | 25% of window area; Exception: seasonal event up to 100% for 21 days | — | — | — | Window | — | §146-5.1F(2)(e) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Advertising Sign | — | 6 sq ft per sign, 3 per business | — | — | 3 per business | On property used by the business | — | §146-5A |
| Awning Sign | — | May not exceed width of window or window/door combo; text area not to exceed max sign area for district | — | — | — | Awning (flat on front or sides) | — | §146-5C |
| Business Sign | — | 6 sq ft per sign | — | — | 1 per business per street front | On building, may be perpendicular; 1 per business per street front; may project up to 6 ft from building | — | §146-5F |
| Cluster Sign | — | Group of signs not to exceed district sign area limit | — | — | — | Where >1 business on lot/building | — | §146-5G |
| Directional Sign | — | 36 in x 6 in (2.5 sq ft) | — | — | 4 per business | Off premises in public right-of-way at intersections; max 1 per approach | — | §146-8, §146-9, §146-11, §146-12 |
| Perpendicular Sign | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business | Perpendicular to building | — | §146-5S |
| Portable/Seasonal Sign | — | 8 sq ft (or district limit, if less) | — | 4 ft from vehicle way, 2 ft from pedestrianway | — | Only in business districts or properties with home occupation/professional use; min 4 ft from vehicle way, 2 ft from pedestrian way | — | §146-5V(1) |
| Portable/Seasonal Sign (Single Event/Special Event Banner) | 8 ft | 12 sq ft (or district limit, if less) | 8 ft | — | — | See above | — | §146-5V(2) |

## Prohibited signs in Boothbay Harbor Town

- Billboards are prohibited within the limits of Boothbay Harbor.
- No sign may be mounted on the roof of a building or extend above the height of the roof of an adjacent building (except as specified for facades).
- Any sign or support extending over a pedestrian way must maintain a minimum of eight feet of clearance above the pedestrian way and 14 feet above a vehicle way.
- No internally lit signs, neon lights, kinetic or moving signs, whirligigs, streamers, or rotating or flashing signs are permitted, unless otherwise allowed in specific districts.
- Language or designs on a sign may not be arranged to mean or indicate profanity or objectionable phrases.
- All signs must be placed on the owner's, tenant's, or lessee's property.
- Signs may not be painted on the roof or side walls of any building.
- Signs may not extend beyond the edge of a building face in any direction except as allowed for mounting on a facade, deck, or ornamental railing.
- Signs may not be mounted on any roof surface with a slope of less than 45° or 12/12 pitch.
- Signs may not be mounted to cover any molding or building detailing, except on/in a building frieze board.
- Signs may not be placed in or on a vehicle or trailer in an attempt to circumvent this code.
- Signs may not obstruct a pedestrianway or roadway view, or the flow of vehicular traffic.
- Signs may not obstruct another sign.
- Except for homeowner’s trespassing and hunting signs, signs may not be mounted to or painted on trees, utility poles, or natural features.
- There shall be no off-premises advertising or business signs unless otherwise noted.
- Signs must be maintained in nonfaded, readable condition providing a neat and orderly appearance.
- Any sign found to be an imminent safety hazard must be removed by the owner at their expense.
- Existing signs made nonconforming by this code must be removed within five years of adoption.
- No person may place, maintain or display any device on or in view of a street that purports to be or imitates an official warning or direction sign or signal, or which attempts to direct movement of traffic.
- No public utility or Town department shall erect, place, or maintain a barrier or sign unless approved by the Town Manager or Chief of Police.

## Signs exempt from permit in Boothbay Harbor Town

- National, state and county flags, holiday decorations and banners, flags, the old gas pump in front of Gimbel's store, church and signs relating to church services, fraternal and veteran's organizations, the school sports scoreboards and the public announcement sign at the entrance to the schools, emergency services signs relating to emergency health care (hospital signs), public utility and highway maintenance signs, the time/temperature sign at the north intersection of Oak Street and Townsend Avenue, the 'Welcome to Boothbay Harbor' sign south of the CMP substation, Brown Bros. fisherman, Fisherman's Wharf's mill stone, and the words 'Trading Post' on the roof of the Trading Post building.
- Vending machines, pay phones, and the public bulletin boards between the buildings on McKown Street, Townsend Avenue, and Commercial Street; integral graphics or attached price signs on gasoline pumps and one price board per station (not exceeding 16 square feet and five feet in height); 'OPEN' or 'SALES' flags no greater than 10 square feet; sidewalk/outside displays of merchandise.
- Commemorative plaques or other memorials.
- Project signs controlled by state, Town or federal funding agencies (such as HUD and FmHA funding requirements for a project sign).
- Temporary signs and banners related to civic events.
- Public safety and traffic control signs or devices placed by public agencies.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required from the Code Enforcement Officer before a sign is placed, erected, or altered, except for real estate signs and temporary window signs.
- Permit applications must include scaled drawings showing front/rear view, cross section, materials, colors, molding or detailing, proposed location, attachment method, and illumination.
- All new and major alterations for cluster or congregate signs, project, development, and location signs must be forwarded to the Planning Board for compliance review before permitting.
- The applicant must consider historical references to locations while planning development signage.
- Banners require a permit from the Code Enforcement Officer and insurance documentation if over a public way.
- For business directional signs, an application must be submitted to the Town Office for each desired location and is approved/denied by the Town Manager; appeals go to the Board of Selectmen.

## 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 10 zoning districts in Boothbay Harbor Town — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Boothbay+Harbor+Town+ME&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-boothbay-harbor-town

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