# Sign Regulations in Brookline Town, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Brookline Town, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/brookline-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/36312588#36312588)

## At a glance

Brookline Town, Massachusetts regulates 16 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 19 feet tall and 30 square feet per face (exclusive of posts/structural supports), with a One-half the depth of required front yard setback from all street lot lines. setback (Sec. § 7.01(j), (k), (p), (n)). Most commercial signs in Brookline Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 25 feet above ground level | 30 square feet per face (exclusive of posts/structural supports) | — |
| S District, SC District, T District, F District | 2 | — | 10 square feet | — |
| M District, M-0.5 District, M-1.0 District, M-1.5 District | 4 | — | 40 square feet (aggregate maximum) | — |
| I District, G District, L District, O District | 7 | Up to 25 feet above ground level maximum | 40 square feet (aggregate maximum) | — |
| Residence District | 1 | — | 1 square foot | — |
| Waldo-Durgin Overlay Special District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Fisher Hill Special Overlay District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Harvard Street Main Street Corridor districts (H-MS, H-MS-O, H-MST, H-MSN) | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 25 feet above ground level | — | — | — | — | Parallel or within 45 degrees of parallel to the street; must be attached to building. | — | § 7.01(h), (c), (e), (f), (n) |
| Projecting Sign / Banner Sign | — | 12 square feet per face | — | — | — | Attached to building. | — | § 7.01(d) |
| Freestanding Sign | 19 feet | 30 square feet per face (exclusive of posts/structural supports) | — | One-half the depth of required front yard setback from all street lot lines. | One per property (special permit for more). | Set back one-half the depth of the required front yard setback from all street lot lines. | — | § 7.01(j), (k), (p), (n) |
| Window Sign | — | Aggregate area of all signs in any window (temp or perm) shall not exceed 30% of the area of such window. | — | — | — | Window | — | § 7.01(i), (h) |
| Temporary Sign (Commercial) | — | — | — | — | — | Attached to or associated with commercial property or use (location subject to approval). | — | § 7.05.1(a), (b), (d); § 7.07.1(b) |
| Temporary Sign (Non-commercial, Dwellings, or Use) | — | 12 square feet | — | — | — | On private property, any district. | — | § 7.05.1(c) |
| Parking Space Identification Sign | — | 1.5 square feet | — | — | — | To identify allowed users of individual parking spaces. | — | § 7.01(m) |

### M District, M-0.5 District, M-1.0 District, M-1.5 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Occupant/Address Identification Sign | — | 1 square foot | — | — | One per premises | Intended to identify the address and/or occupant of premises. | — | § 7.03.1(a) (ref. 7.02.1(a)) |
| Bulletin Board / Announcement Board | — | 10 square feet | — | — | Two per premises | — | — | § 7.03.1(a) (ref. 7.02.1(b)) |
| Wall Sign / Freestanding Sign | — | 20 square feet (aggregate for 2 signs) | — | — | Two per premises | Not specified, but must be permanent and on-premises. | — | § 7.03.1(b) |
| Additional Sign Area for Large Dwellings | — | 40 square feet (aggregate maximum) | — | — | — | — | — | § 7.03.1(c) |

### I District, G District, L District, O District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Occupant/Address Identification Sign | — | 1 square foot | — | — | One per premises | Intended to identify the address and/or occupant of premises. | — | § 7.04.1(a) (ref. 7.02.1(a), 7.03.1(a)) |
| Bulletin Board / Announcement Board | — | 10 square feet | — | — | Two per premises | — | — | § 7.04.1(a) (ref. 7.02.1(b), 7.03.1(a)) |
| Wall Sign / Freestanding Sign | — | 20 square feet (aggregate for 2 signs) | — | — | Two per premises | Not specified, but must be permanent and on-premises. | — | § 7.04.1(a) (ref. 7.03.1(b)) |
| Additional Sign Area for Large Dwellings | — | 40 square feet (aggregate maximum) | — | — | — | — | — | § 7.04.1(a) (ref. 7.03.1(c)) |
| Upper Floor Wall Sign | Up to 25 feet above ground level maximum | — | — | — | — | Upper floor (second floor level), attached to building, parallel or substantially parallel to street. | — | § 7.04.1(b), ref 7.01(h),(c) |
| Sign Not Parallel to Street (Single Business) | — | 12 square feet | — | — | One per structure | Not parallel or within 45 degrees of parallel to a street. | — | § 7.04.1(c) |
| Sign Not Parallel to Street (Multiple Businesses) | — | 18 square feet | — | — | One per structure | Not parallel or within 45 degrees of parallel to a street. | — | § 7.04.1(c) |

## Prohibited signs in Brookline Town

- Signs with visible moving or moveable parts or with flashing animated or intermittent illumination are prohibited.
- Signs or parts thereof attached to a building shall not exceed a height of 25 feet above ground level.
- Projecting or banner signs attached to a building shall not be internally illuminated, shall not exceed 12 square feet in area per face, and shall not extend lower than a height of 8 feet.
- Signs attached to a building shall not project above the roof or parapet line nor more than 12 inches out from the wall to which it is attached.
- Signs shall not be permitted on building walls not parallel or within 45 degrees of parallel to the street.
- No A-Frame or 'Sandwich board' signs shall be permitted in any district.
- All lighting shall be installed and maintained so that no direct light or glare shines on any street or nearby property.
- No neon type or exposed gas-illuminated tube type of sign which is red, yellow, or green shall be located within 100 feet of a traffic signal unless it is shielded from the line of sight of any driver of a motor vehicle approaching the traffic signal.

## Signs exempt from permit in Brookline Town

- Official traffic control devices required, maintained, or installed by a Federal, State or local governmental agency.
- Town of Brookline government signs and signs permitted by the Town on Town property.
- Building markers indicating the name of a building and date and incidental information about its construction, which marker is cut into a masonry surface or made of other permanent material.
- Flags, holiday lights, and decorations.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All regulated facade alterations shall be subject to the design review process in § 7.08.
- All permanent signs permitted in § 7.02, 7.03, and 7.04, except signs permitted in paragraph 7.02(a), shall be subject to the design review process described in § 7.08.
- Design and location of all temporary signs attached to or associated with a commercial property or use must be approved by the Building Commissioner following Planning Board guidelines.
- An application form, plans of the proposed sign, and supporting materials are required to be submitted to the Planning and Community Development Department for design review.
- The Planning Board must review and approve applications not eligible for administrative approval, and appeals may be made to the Board of Appeals for further relief or variance.
- Board of Appeals may grant special permits for exceptions or relief for specific situations, subject to design review procedures.

## 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 8 zoning districts in Brookline Town — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Brookline+Town+MA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-brookline-town

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