# Sign Regulations in Oakland Town, Maryland

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Oakland Town, Maryland (MD)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/maryland/oakland-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/106963#106963)

## At a glance

Oakland Town, Maryland regulates 25 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Roof Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 3 ft above the roof of a building tall and 15 sq ft (Sec. § 300-49A, § 300-48). Most commercial signs in Oakland Town 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 | 4 | 3 ft above the roof of a building | 15 sq ft | — |
| Residential districts | 14 | 10 ft | 100 sq ft | — |
| Commercial and employment districts, TC zoning district, C zoning district | 8 | — | 400 sq ft | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Roof Sign | 3 ft above the roof of a building | 15 sq ft | — | — | — | On building roof | — | § 300-49A, § 300-48 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 10 sq ft if extending over a sidewalk | — | — | — | Hung from a building, may project over sidewalk | — | § 300-49A |
| LED, LCD, or Scrolling Message Sign (On-premises) | — | — | — | — | — | Accessory on-premises | — | § 300-49I(1) |
| LED, LCD, or Scrolling Message Sign (Off-premises, TC & C districts only) | — | — | — | — | — | Off-premises, allowed in TC & C districts by special exception only | — | § 300-49I(2) |

### Residential districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Name/Number/Home Occupation Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property (or 1 per frontage if on multiple streets) | On-premises, typically at residence | — | § 300-50A(2) |
| Farm Products Sign | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property (or 1 per frontage if multiple) | On-premises | — | § 300-50A(3) |
| Institutional Identification or Bulletin Board Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property (or 1 per frontage if multiple) | On-premises for schools, churches, hospitals, and other non-dwellings | — | § 300-50A(4) |
| For Sale/For Lease Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property (or 1 per frontage if multiple) | On-premises | — | § 300-50A(5) |
| Development/Subdivision Temporary Sign | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property (or 1 per frontage if multiple) | On-premises | — | § 300-50A(6) |
| Yard/Garage Sale, Auction Temporary Sign - On-premises (Option 1) | — | 6 sq ft (see also § 156-5) | — | — | 2 per residence | On premises of sale | — | § 300-50A(10), § 156-5 |
| Yard/Garage Sale Directional Sign - Off-premises (Option 2) | — | 6 sq ft per sign (see § 156-5) | — | — | 2 per sale | Off-premises, with property owner's permission | — | § 156-5A(2), § 156-5B, § 156-5D |
| State Highway Service Club/Institutional Directional Sign | 10 ft | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | Along a state highway (off-premises) | — | § 300-50B(3) |

### Commercial and employment districts, TC zoning district, C zoning district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs Permitted in Residential Districts | — | — | — | — | — | As allowed for residential | — | § 300-51A(1), § 300-51B(1) |
| Building-Attached or Painted Sign | — | 200 sq ft (see option for Big Box use) | — | — | — | Attached to or painted on building | — | § 300-51A(2)(a) |
| Building-Attached or Painted Sign (Big Box Retail Use Option) | — | 400 sq ft | — | — | — | Attached to or painted on building | — | § 300-51A(2)(b) |
| Freestanding Sign | — | 200 sq ft | — | — | 1 per 1,000 ft frontage | Freestanding (single building/business or for shopping center) | — | § 300-51A(2)(c),(d) |
| Temporary Commercial Promotion/Event Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 2 at any given time | On-premises | — | § 300-51A(3) |
| Service Club/Nonprofit Directional Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | Off-premises | — | § 300-51B(2) |
| LED, LCD, or Scrolling Message Sign (On-premises) | — | — | — | — | — | Accessory on-premises | — | § 300-49I(1), permitted per Table of Use Regulations |
| LED, LCD, or Scrolling Message Sign (Off-premises) | — | — | — | — | — | Off-premises, by special exception | — | § 300-49I(2) |

## Prohibited signs in Oakland Town

- No sign shall be erected, hung, placed or painted in any district except as hereinafter provided.
- 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.
- No sign erected before the enactment of these regulations shall be altered in any respect or moved, except in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
- No sign shall project more than three feet above the roof of a building.
- No sign hung from a building shall extend more than four feet from the face of the building; there shall be a minimum of eight feet clearance from the bottom of the sign to the ground.
- No sign protruding over any sidewalk may exceed 10 square feet in area.
- No sign shall be larger than 15 square feet in area when projecting above a roof.
- No signs shall be located within any street rights-of-way except signs permitted in § 300-50A(1).
- Signs shall not exceed the height limit permitted in any district in which they are located.
- Signs shall not obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or other opening intended to provide light, air, ingress or egress for any building or structure.
- No sign shall constitute a public safety and traffic hazard, such as by obstructing traffic signs, road warning signs, street name signs, or the full view of the traffic in all directions.
- Lighting devices shall be shielded so they do not shine directly into a public street or highway or into a residential district.
- All signs except temporary signs shall be constructed of durable material and kept in good condition and repair.
- Nonconforming signs, once removed, shall be replaced only with conforming signs.
- Nonconforming signs may be repaired or repainted provided they do not exceed existing dimensions and no change is made in general wording or content.
- No sign advertising a business or commercial enterprise shall remain on any property, building, or structure after the business has ceased to exist; such signs must be removed within 30 days of business closing.
- No off-premises LED, LCD and scrolling message signs (other than as permitted by special exception in TC and C zoning districts) are permitted.
- For LED, LCD and scrolling message signs: No flashing illumination is permitted; message intervals are restricted.
- No sign or other display advertising a garage sale shall be placed on any public place or right-of-way.
- No illuminated or lighted sign may be used to advertise a garage sale.

## Signs exempt from permit in Oakland Town

- The flag, emblem or insignia of a nation, other governmental unit, nonprofit educational, charitable or religious group shall be exempt from the terms of this article.
- Official traffic signs and other official federal, state, county or town government signs are exempt.
- Signs on theaters advertising changes in program shall not require permits except for the initial installation thereof.
- No permit shall be required for the repainting or repapering of a sign which conforms to the provisions of this chapter.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No mention of a master sign plan or required sign plan is found in the provided ordinance text.
- No requirement for a sign variance hearing or approval body meeting is specified for general sign installation in the text provided.
- A permit is required for any on-premises sign over six square feet in area and any off-premises sign (except governmental sign) of any size; permit is also required for initial installation of theater signs, but not for changes in program.
- A special permit must be obtained from Oakland City Hall for temporary commercial event/promotion signs, with a fee for each permit.

## Full detail

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

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