# Sign Regulations in Chesapeake Beach Town, Maryland

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Chesapeake Beach Town, Maryland (MD)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/maryland/chesapeake-beach-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/15178000#15178000)

## At a glance

Chesapeake Beach Town, Maryland regulates 18 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Sandwich Board Signs in the Commercial Districts (NC, TC, PC, MC) zoning district are capped at 36 inches tall and 12 sq ft per sign face, with a Must not restrict required sight distances setback (Sec. §290-22H(14)(c)[1-4]). Most commercial signs in Chesapeake Beach Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts (R-LD, R-MD, R-HD, RV-1, RV-2, RPC) | 9 | — | 100 sq ft | — |
| Commercial Districts (NC, TC, PC, MC) | 5 | 36 inches | 100 sq ft (absolute max) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | — | 12 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential Districts (R-LD, R-MD, R-HD, RV-1, RV-2, RPC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Official Traffic Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On-premises | — | §290-22F(1)(a), §290-22F(2) |
| Building Name/Number or Home Occupation Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property or 1 per street frontage | On-premises; at building/premises | — | §290-22F(1)(b) and (c) |
| Bulletin/Announcement Board or Identification Sign (Schools, Churches, Hospitals, etc., not dwellings) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property or 1 per street frontage | On-premises | — | §290-22F(1)(d) |
| For Sale/Lease Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property or 1 per street frontage | On the property being sold or leased | — | §290-22F(1)(e) |
| Temporary Subdivision/Development Sign | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property or 1 per street frontage | On property being developed | — | §290-22F(1)(f) |
| Temporary Contractor/Architect/Builder Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | On property for associated work | — | §290-22F(1)(g) |
| Traffic Control/Directional Signs (Residential Districts) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §290-22F(1)(h) |
| Trespassing/Private Road Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | Private road, driveway, or premises | — | §290-22F(1)(i) |

### Commercial Districts (NC, TC, PC, MC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs Permitted in Residential Districts | — | — | — | — | — | See Residential Districts (R-LD, R-MD, R-HD, RV-1, RV-2, RPC) | — | §290-22G(1)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Building/Facade) | — | 100 sq ft (absolute max) | — | — | — | Attached to or painted on building | — | §290-22G(1)(b)[1], §110-2, §290-22E |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per 1,000 ft frontage | On premise, at street frontage | — | §290-22G(1)(b)[2], §290-22H(3), §290-22E |
| Off-Premises Directional Sign (Service Clubs, Churches, Nonprofit Organizations) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | Off-premises | — | §290-22G(2)(b) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 36 inches | 12 sq ft per sign face | — | Must not restrict required sight distances | 1 per business | On premises; must not restrict sight distance (per Town Road Ordinance) | — | §290-22H(14)(c)[1-4] |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Event Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §290-22H(8) |
| Balloon | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §290-22H(14)(a) |
| Searchlight | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §290-22H(14)(a) |
| Pennant/Banner (No advertising or words) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §290-22H(14)(b) |

## Prohibited signs in Chesapeake Beach Town

- Portable signs, including portable, changeable copy signs, with or without wheels, are prohibited.
- Sandwich signs are prohibited.
- Signs posted on any pole, fence, building, tree or other public property of the Town except as allowed by written permission of the Town.
- Signs posted on any pole, fence, building, tree or other property of a public utility company except as allowed by written permission of that utility company.
- Tacking, painting, posting, or otherwise affixing of signs or posters of a miscellaneous character on the walls of buildings, barns, sheds, trees, posts, poles, fences, walls, or other structures except as provided for in this chapter is prohibited.
- Signs shall not obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway, or other opening intended to provide light, air, ingress to, or egress from any building or structure.
- No sign shall constitute a public safety or traffic hazard, such as by obstructing traffic signals, road warning signs, street name signs, or the full view of the traffic in all directions.
- No sign shall project more than three feet above the roof or more than 14 inches out from the wall to which it is attached.
- Signs shall not be located within any street lines except certain official and government signs.
- Signs shall not exceed the height limit permitted in the district; maximum height for freestanding signs is 20 feet.
- No sign shall have moving parts or project any intermittent or flashing illumination.
- No sign shall be displayed which uses the words 'Stop' or 'Danger' or presents or implies the requirement of stopping or the existence of danger as part of advertising.
- No sign shall be permitted which contains statements, words, or pictures of an obscene character.
- No signs shall be placed on rocks, trees, or on poles maintained by public utilities.
- No sign erected before enactment of these regulations shall be altered or moved except in compliance with the current provisions.
- Nonconforming signs, once removed, may only be replaced with conforming signs. Nonconforming signs may only be repainted or repaired if not enlarged or wording/content changed.
- Signs are to be constructed of durable material, kept in good condition and repair. Unsafe signs must be made safe/removed within five days of notification.

## Signs exempt from permit in Chesapeake Beach Town

- No permit is required for a sign on real estate devoted exclusively to advertising the same for sale or rent.
- No permit is required for the repainting or repapering of a sign which conforms to the provisions of this chapter.
- Signs on theaters advertising changes in program do not require permits except for the initial installation.
- Official traffic signs and other official federal, state, county or Town government signs do not require permits.
- Off-premises signs that are official traffic signs or government signs are permitted in both residential and commercial districts without further restriction.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The ordinance does not explicitly require a master sign plan or sign plan submission for all signs; however, a permit must be obtained for most signs, with supporting information including diagrams, locations, ownership, and content.
- Signs are subject to regulations in both the sign ordinance and Chapter 290 (Zoning), § 290-22.
- There is no mention of a required variance meeting for sign review.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Chesapeake Beach Town, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Chesapeake+Beach+Town+MD&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-chesapeake-beach-town

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