# Sign Regulations in Taneytown, Maryland

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Taneytown, Maryland (MD)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/maryland/taneytown
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-22
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/9237377#9237377)

## At a glance

Taneytown, Maryland regulates 27 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Commercial and industrial zones zoning district are capped at 35 ft tall and 40 sq ft per side (Planning Commission may vary for site plan), with a 15 ft from street right-of-way setback (Sec. § 205-43 (E)). Most commercial signs in Taneytown require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| One-family and multifamily dwelling units | 1 | 5 ft above ground | 2 sq ft | — |
| Downtown Business District | 7 | 12 ft | 27 sq ft per side | — |
| General Business District, Restricted General Business District | 3 | — | 15 sq ft | — |
| Commercial and industrial zones | 9 | 35 ft | 40 sq ft per side (Planning Commission may vary for site plan) | — |
| Open Space Zone | 1 | — | 8 sq ft per side | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 12 | — | 36 sq ft per side (unless approved by Planning Commission) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### Downtown Business District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per storefront | Ground floor, above sidewalk | — | § 205-42 (A) |
| Flat Wall Sign | — | 24 sq ft (or 10% of storefront) | — | — | 1 per storefront (2 if building fronts two streets) | Ground floor | — | § 205-42 (B) |
| Freestanding Sign | 12 ft | 27 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per storefront | — | — | § 205-42 (C) |
| Hanging/Projecting Sign | — | 12 sq ft per side (24 sq ft total) | — | 2 ft behind curbline | 1 per business storefront | At least 8 ft above sidewalk, 2 ft behind curbline | — | § 205-42 (D) |
| Directory Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building with multiple tenants | Mounted at the entrance, if possible | — | § 205-42 (E) |
| Delivery Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per tenant | Side or rear of building | — | § 205-42 (F) |
| Portable Sign (Sandwich Board) | — | — | — | — | 1 per tenant | — | — | § 205-42 (G) |

### Commercial and industrial zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Flat Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | First floor wall | — | § 205-43 (B) |
| Projecting Sign | 25 ft from grade | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 205-43 (C) |
| Marquee Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On vertical faces or below edge of marquee | — | § 205-43 (D) |
| Freestanding Sign | 35 ft | 40 sq ft per side (Planning Commission may vary for site plan) | — | 15 ft from street right-of-way | 1 per entrance (if two entrances, 2 signs) | — | — | § 205-43 (E) |
| Freestanding Sign (Electronic Message Display Board Option) | — | — | — | — | 1 per site | — | — | § 205-43 (E)(1); § 205-55(C) |
| Portable Sign (Sandwich Board) | — | — | — | — | 1 per tenant | — | — | § 205-43 (F) |
| Sandwich Board Sign (Community Association - Off-Premises) | — | 8 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per street frontage | — | — | § 205-51 (B)-(G) |
| Banner (Community Association - Off-Premises) | — | 15 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | — | — | § 205-48(C) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Construction Sign | — | 16 sq ft per sign | — | — | 3 per site | On construction site | — | § 205-44 (A)(1) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | 6 sq ft per sign | — | — | 1 per lot/frontage (2 if multiple frontage) | On subject property | — | § 205-44 (A)(2); § 205-54(D) |
| Subdivision Identification Sign (Temporary) | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | 1 per development | On property | — | § 205-44 (A)(3) |
| Street Banner (Temporary) | — | — | — | — | — | Locations designated by the City | — | § 205-44 (B) |
| Bulletin Board | — | 36 sq ft per side (unless approved by Planning Commission) | — | — | — | On-site for religious, civil, or government organizations | — | § 205-44 (D); (1)(a)-(g) |
| Yard Sale Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per sale | Private property where sale occurs | — | § 205-44 (E) |
| Window Sign | — | 35% of window glass area (with 10% temporary allowance for non-profit promotion) | — | — | — | Window or door | — | § 205-45 |
| Neon Window Sign (Interior only) | — | 10% of window area | — | — | — | Inside window | — | § 205-52 |

## Prohibited signs in Taneytown

- Large signs, including outdoor advertising structures, billboards or poster panels advertising projects or businesses not related to the site or building on which they are located, are not permitted.
- Streamers, balloons three feet and larger and other inflatable figures or devices are prohibited.
- Search lights are prohibited.
- Signs that can be confused with traffic control devices are prohibited.
- Billboards are prohibited.
- Off-premises signs are prohibited, except as permitted as a special exception by the Board of Appeals or in compliance with § 205-50.
- Portable and wheeled signs are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs on utility poles and trees are prohibited.
- Signs painted on walls are prohibited.
- Signs with obscene, indecent or immoral content are prohibited.
- Signs on parked vehicles, where the apparent purpose is to advertise a product or direct people to a business or activity located on the same or nearby property, are prohibited except where incidental to the vehicle’s primary use.
- Beacon lights or search lights shall not be permitted as a sign or for advertising purposes.
- No exposed reflective-type bulbs and no strobe lights or incandescent lamps shall be used on the exterior surface of any sign.
- The light from any illuminated sign or from any light source, including the interior of a building, must not adversely affect surrounding premises or safe vision of vehicle operators.

## Signs exempt from permit in Taneytown

- Public signs of a noncommercial nature and in the public interest erected by, or on the order of, a public officer in the performance of duty, such as directional signs, regulatory signs, warning signs and informational signs.
- Names of buildings, dates of erection, monumental citations, commemorative tablets and similar, when carved into stone, concrete or similar material or made of bronze, aluminum or other permanent-type construction and made an integral part of the structure.
- On-site private traffic direction signs not exceeding six square feet in area for each sign.
- Temporary real estate signs not exceeding six square feet in area, located on the subject property and limited to one such sign per frontage of a home, lot or parcel. Signs must be removed within seven days after closing occurs.
- Billboards erected prior to the adoption of these regulations.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs placed on land or on a building for the purposes of identification or for advertising a use conducted therein or thereon shall be accessory and incidental to such land, building or use, and should be coordinated to be compatible with the character of existing architecture and harmonious in color, form, and proportion within one complex.
- Where a site plan is submitted in commercial and industrial zones, the Planning Commission shall determine the type and location of freestanding signs during site plan review and may vary the maximum square footage requirement.
- Permanent identification signs for community development centers or similar projects require Planning Commission approval at the time of plan review.
- Bulletin boards (on-site) exceeding 36 square feet per side require Planning Commission approval, and electronic message display boards incorporated into bulletin boards must be approved by the Planning Commission.
- Electronic message display boards for freestanding signs require approval by the Planning Commission.
- Application for a sign permit must include drawings showing the design, dimensions and location of the sign, and such other information as required by the Zoning Administrator to ensure compliance. Permit is required for all new, replaced, altered, or relocated signs unless specifically exempt.

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

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