# Sign Regulations in Aberdeen, Maryland

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Aberdeen, Maryland (MD)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/maryland/aberdeen
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-20
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/27380906#27380906)

## At a glance

Aberdeen, Maryland regulates 11 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Project Development Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 10 feet above road grade tall and See Table 3 (not included in text)., with a 10 feet from road right-of-way setback (Sec. § 235-40.6(H)). Most commercial signs in Aberdeen 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 | 9 | 25 feet above finished grade | 50 square feet | — |
| Overlay districts | 1 | 8 feet above finished grade | — | — |
| Residentially zoned property | 1 | 6 feet above finished grade | — | — |
| B-3 Zoning District, IBD Zoning District | 1 | 25 feet above finished grade | — | — |
| Commercial building, Industrial building | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 feet above finished grade | — | — | 1/3 of required front setback for district and 10 feet from city's public utilities plus 1/2 foot per foot above 10 ft sign height. | — | Only in the front building setback area; must be set back 1/3 of the required setback for the underlying zone and out of any right-of-way or easement. | — | § 235-40.3; § 235-40.6(D) |
| Monument Sign | 8 feet above finished grade | — | — | 1/3 of required setback, and 10 feet from city's utilities or 2x utility depth (whichever greater). | — | Only in front building setback; set back 1/3 of required district setback and out of right-of-way/easement; not in a recorded public easement. | — | § 235-40.3; § 235-40.6(F) |
| Temporary Sign | 3 feet measured from ground to top of sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 235-40.6(E); Definition for Temporary Sign |
| Project Development Sign | 10 feet above road grade | See Table 3 (not included in text). | — | 10 feet from road right-of-way | — | Set back at least 10 feet from the road right-of-way. | — | § 235-40.6(H) |
| Vehicular Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Not permitted on vehicles parked on a right-of-way. | — | § 235-40.6(I) |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | Project no more than 42 inches from wall | — | — | At least 2 feet from the street curbline or improved shoulder; 8 feet minimum clearance from sidewalk to bottom, 14 feet for vehicle access. | — | § 235-40.6(J) |
| Electronic Message Sign | — | 50 square feet | — | 50 feet from residential zone | 1 per business | As attachment to a structure or freestanding; minimum 50 feet from any residentially zoned property. | — | § 235-40.6(O) |
| Off-premises Sign (B-3 and IBD only) | 25 feet above finished grade | — | — | — | — | Within 2,000 feet of property line of the office park or project | — | § 235-40.6(N) |

### Overlay districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign | 8 feet above finished grade | — | — | Set back 1/3 of required front setback and out of right-of-way/easement; 10 feet from city utilities or 2x utility depth. | — | Front building setback area, not in a recorded public easement. | — | § 235-40.6(F)(1),(3),(4),(5),(7) |

### Residentially zoned property

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Entrance Sign | 6 feet above finished grade | — | — | — | — | At the entrance to residential neighborhood or subdivision. | — | § 235-40.6(M) |

## Prohibited signs in Aberdeen

- No sign or sign structure shall create a safety hazard.
- No sign may be located so that it substantially interferes with the view necessary for pedestrians or motorists to proceed safely through intersections or to enter or exit public streets or private roads.
- No sign may be erected so that its location, color, size, shape, nature, or message would obstruct the view of or be confused with official traffic signs or other signs erected by government agencies.
- Signs that are not commercially produced will be prohibited in all zoning districts.
- Vehicular signs on vehicles parked on a right-of-way are prohibited.
- Signs may not be placed on or attached to City, county or state property, within a public right-of-way or easement, on utility poles, on any roadway sign and post, or on a traffic control device.
- A sign shall not be placed within 10 feet of the road right-of-way and shall be placed in such a manner so as not to impede vision.
- No sign shall obstruct a means of ingress or egress from a building or structure.
- Signs that produce noise or sounds, or emit smoke, vapor, particles, or odor are prohibited.
- Signs shall not be placed within rights-of-way or buffer yards between business or industrial uses and residential uses.
- Signs displaying any statements, words, characters, photographs, or illustrations that are obscene or that depict child pornography are prohibited.
- No person may increase or enhance the visibility of any sign by damaging, trimming, destroying, or removing any trees, shrubs, or other vegetation located within the right-of-way of any public street or road.
- No person may enlarge or increase the size of a nonconforming sign.
- A nonconforming sign may not be moved or replaced except to bring the sign into complete conformity with this article.
- If a nonconforming sign is destroyed, it may not thereafter be repaired, reconstructed, or replaced except in conformity with all the provisions of this article.
- The sign structure in place when a sign becomes nonconforming may not be modified, except to bring it into conformity with this article.
- The light from any illuminated sign or from any light source, including the interior of a building, shall be so shaded, shielded, or directed that the light intensity or brightness shall not adversely affect surrounding or facing premises nor adversely affect the vision of motor vehicle operators.
- With the exception of electronic message signs, no sign shall have blinking or flashing lights or other illumination devices which have a changing light intensity, brightness or color.
- No exposed reflective-type bulbs and no strobe lights or incandescent lamps shall be used on the exterior surface of any sign so as to expose the face of the bulb, light, or lamp to any public street or adjacent property.
- Signs of a size, location, movement, content, coloration, or manner of illumination that may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device, or that hide from view any permitted signs, or which distract or obstruct the view of road or pedestrian traffic in any direction at a road intersection shall be prohibited.
- Campaign signs shall not be displayed on City property, State of Maryland rights-of-way, or utility poles or in such a way as to present a danger to person or property or to limit the visual field of drivers or pedestrians and cannot impede public rights-of-way.

## Signs exempt from permit in Aberdeen

- If the panel of a sign is modified to reflect a change in the logo or ad copy of an existing business at the same location, a new permit is not required.
- Beacon lights or searchlights shall be temporarily permitted for advertising special events.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required to erect, place, attach, sustain, alter, reconstruct, relocate, or modify any sign or other advertising structure, except when only the panel is modified to reflect a change in logo or ad copy for the same business at the same location.
- An application for a sign permit must be filed with the Department of Planning and Community Development and must include all required information as specified by the Director.
- There is no reference in the provided text to a master sign plan requirement or a mandatory sign/variance meeting for all signs across all zones.

## 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 Aberdeen — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Aberdeen+MD&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-aberdeen

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