# Sign Regulations in Salisbury, Maryland

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Salisbury, Maryland (MD)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/maryland/salisbury
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MD/Salisbury/codes/Municipal_Code?nodeId=TIT12STSIPUPL_CH12.40SISI)

## At a glance

Salisbury, Maryland regulates 42 sign types across 15 zoning districts. Trailer/Portable Sign (Temporary)s in the General Commercial District zoning district are capped at 8 ft tall, 60 sq ft per face, and 10 ft in length wide, with a 15 ft from curbline setback (Sec. 17.216.110(B)(5)). Most commercial signs in Salisbury require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (15 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 15 | 15 ft | 60 sq ft per face | — |
| R-5, R-8, R-8S, R-10, R-10S | 4 | 5 ft | 30 sq ft (combined with identification sign) | — |
| R-5A, RR-5A, R-8A | 3 | 5 ft | 50 sq ft | — |
| Office and Service Residential District | 3 | 6 ft | 30 sq ft | — |
| Office and Service Highway District | 7 | 25 ft | 50 sq ft per face | — |
| College and University District | 2 | — | — | — |
| General Commercial District | 7 | 30 ft | 200 sq ft (both signs) | — |
| Light Business and Institutional District | 4 | 25 ft | 50 sq ft per face | — |
| Regional Commercial District | 6 | 30 ft | 125 sq ft per face | — |
| Neighborhood Business District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Central Business District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Riverfront Redevelopment Multiuse District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Light Industrial District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Industrial District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Shopping Centers | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 15 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Public Sign | — | No maximum (any size or shape) | — | — | — | Any location as directed by governmental body or agency | — | 17.216.050(A) |
| Instructional Sign | 3 ft | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | 17.216.050(B), 17.216.200(B)(3) |
| Name and Address Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per principal building/use | One for each principal building or use on a premises | — | 17.216.050(C), 17.216.200(B)(15) |
| Permanent Subdivision Identification Sign | — | 20 sq ft per face | — | 15 ft from curbline | 1 per main entrance, 2 faces | Main entrance | — | 17.216.050(D) |
| Temporary Development Sign | 15 ft | 60 sq ft per face | — | Setback as required by district | 2 faces max | — | — | 17.216.050(F) |
| Political Campaign Sign | — | 32 sq ft aggregate | — | 15 ft from curbline, or same as nearest building if less than 15 ft | Unlimited, subject to aggregate size | On any privately owned lot; set back at least 15 ft from curbline unless building is located less than 15 ft from curbline (then as close as building) | — | 17.216.050(J), 17.216.200(B)(11) |
| Directional Sign | 5 ft | 4 sq ft | — | 10 ft from curbline, 500 ft from other directional signs | 1 per use | Within one mile of use, set back 10 ft from curbline, min. 500 ft from any other directional sign on that side of the street | — | 17.216.050(K), 17.216.200(B)(16) |
| Nonbusiness Sign | — | 6 sq ft aggregate | — | 15 ft from curbline, or same as nearest building if less than 15 ft | Aggregate area | Set back 15 ft from curbline, or attached to occupied structure | — | 17.216.050(L), 17.216.200(B)(12) |

### Office and Service Highway District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign (1st Frontage) | 25 ft | 50 sq ft per face | — | 20 ft from curbline | 1 per frontage | Ground, 1st street frontage | — | 17.216.090(B)(1) |
| Ground Sign (Additional Frontage) | 25 ft | 50 sq ft | — | 20 ft from curbline | 1 per additional frontage | Second street frontage | — | 17.216.090(B)(1), 17.216.200(F) |
| Marquee or Soffit Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | Marquee or soffit | — | 17.216.090(B)(2) |
| Wall Sign | — | 50 sq ft | — | — | — | Wall | — | 17.216.090(B)(3) |
| Directory Sign | 6 ft | 15 sq ft per face | — | 15 ft from back of curb | 2 faces max | Set back 15 ft from back of curb | — | 17.216.090(C)(1) |
| Instructional Sign | 3 ft | 6 sq ft per face | — | — | 2 per entrance-exit | — | — | 17.216.090(C)(2) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | 10 ft | 32 sq ft | — | 20 ft from curbline | — | — | — | 17.216.090(C)(3) |

### General Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 30 ft | 100 sq ft per face | — | 15 ft from curbline/property line | 1 per lot | Set back 15 ft from curbline or property line if no curbline | — | 17.216.110(B)(1) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | 2 ft from curbline/property line | 1 | Projecting | — | 17.216.110(B)(2) |
| Wall Sign (per wall) | — | 200 sq ft (both signs) | — | — | 2 per wall | Wall | — | 17.216.110(B)(3) |
| Roof Sign | 16 ft above roofline | 100 sq ft (total for both signs) | — | — | 2 | Roof | — | 17.216.110(B)(4) |
| Trailer/Portable Sign (Temporary) | 8 ft | 60 sq ft per face | 10 ft in length | 15 ft from curbline | Max 3 per 2,000 ft (1 per lot at a time) | Shall not be placed in required parking spaces. Set back 15 ft from curbline. | — | 17.216.110(B)(5) |
| Marquee Sign | — | 150 sq ft | — | 2 ft from curbline/property line | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage | — | 17.216.110(B)(6) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | 10 ft | 32 sq ft | — | 15 ft from curbline | — | — | — | 17.216.110(C) |

## Prohibited signs in Salisbury

- Signs which produce noise or sounds or emit visible smoke, vapor, particles or odor.
- Signs with intermittent light resembling, or seeming to resemble, the flashing lights customarily associated with danger or such as are customarily used by police, fire and ambulance vehicles or for navigation purposes.
- Signs located and so illuminated as to provide a background of colored lights to the extent that they may be confusing to motorists when viewed from normal approaching position of a vehicle at a distance of twenty-five (25) to three hundred (300) feet.
- Signs in any location which obstruct the vision of motorists of traffic control devices, intersections or traffic movement.
- Signs attached to trees or utility poles.
- Signs attached to any vehicle parked permanently.
- Signs which are, taken as a whole, obscene or profane as currently defined, described or determined by the United States Supreme Court and/or by the court of Appeals of Maryland.
- Signs which are an imitation of or resemble an official traffic sign or signal or which bear the words STOP, GO, SLOW, CAUTION, DANGER, WARNING or similar words, which would adversely affect traffic.

## Signs exempt from permit in Salisbury

- Signs erected by or required to be erected by any government agency.
- Changing of copy on a bulletin board, poster board, display easement, outdoor advertising structure or marquee.
- Temporary instructional signs not exceeding two square feet in area or three feet in height.
- Signs on trucks, buses or other vehicles while in use in the normal course of business.
- Nonilluminated signs, not exceeding six square feet in area, with letters not exceeding one foot in height, painted, stamped, perforated or stitched on the surface area of an awning, canopy, roller curtain or umbrella.
- Memorial tablets or signs and historic markers.
- Flags and insignias of bona fide civic, charitable, fraternal and welfare or religious organizations and national flags and flags of political subdivisions of the United States; provided, there are no more than three flags, any one of which may not exceed twenty (20) square feet on any single lot.
- One banner of no more than thirty-two (32) square feet in area for no more than fourteen (14) consecutive days in any year.
- Permanent signs on vending machines and dispensers such as gasoline pumps.
- Signs not exceeding two square feet locating utility facilities.
- One or more political campaign signs which, in aggregate, do not exceed a total of thirty-two (32) square feet in area, set back at least fifteen (15) feet from the curbline, on any privately owned lot, except where a building is located less than fifteen (15) feet from the curbline and, in that event, the setback is the lesser of fifteen (15) feet or the distance between the building and the curbline.
- Nonbusiness signs (which are not outdoor advertising structures as defined in Section 17.216.020) may be erected for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days in any calendar year by or for the owner or lawful occupant of any lot or structure which signs, in aggregate, do not exceed a total of six square feet in area, nonilluminated. Such signs must be set back at least fifteen (15) feet from the curbline on any lot or affixed to an occupied dwelling, structure or building, except where such dwelling, structure or building is located less than fifteen (15) feet from the curbline and, in that event, the setback is the lesser of fifteen (15) feet or the distance between the dwelling structure or building and the curbline.
- Temporary real estate signs as specified in Section 17.216.050(E), which have a maximum area of eight square feet, nonilluminated.
- Temporary construction signs as specified in Section 17.216.050(G).
- Name and address signs not exceeding one for each principal business or use on a premises and not exceeding two square feet in area.
- Temporary directional signs as specified in Section 17.216.050(K).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Every redeveloped or newly developed property in the central business district (CBD) shall require a sign plan showing the overall design and treatment of nontemporary signs, which shall be submitted for approval as part of development approval required by chapter 17.28 and Section 17.12.070.
- Every redeveloped or newly developed property in the riverfront redevelopment multiuse district shall require a sign plan showing the overall design and treatment of signs, which shall be submitted for approval as part of development approval required by chapter 17.104 and Section 17.12.070.

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

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