# Sign Regulations in Charlton Town, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Charlton Town, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/charlton-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/27069069#27069069)

## At a glance

Charlton Town, Massachusetts regulates 34 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 20 feet (min. 10 ft clearance to ground) tall and 32 sq. ft., with a Standing signs must be 3 ft from property line (§ 200-5.6C(4)) setback (Sec. § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs)). Most commercial signs in Charlton Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 31 | 20 feet | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| Village District | 1 | — | — | — |
| CB District | 1 | 20 ft. | 32 sq. ft.; multi-tenant: 90 sq. ft.; intersection: 16 sq. ft. | — |
| IG District, BEP District | 1 | 36 ft. | 32 sq. ft.; multi-tenant: 90 sq. ft.; intersection: 16 sq. ft. | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Advertising Device (excluding balloon signs) | 20 feet | Counts toward allowed ground sign area | — | — | 1 per site | On site | — | § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs) |
| Canopy Sign | 3 feet | 10% of façade or 60 sq. ft. (whichever is less) | — | — | 1 per canopy | On canopy | — | § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs) |
| Drive-Through Menu Sign | 20 feet (clearance to ground required) | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per site | Drive-through area | — | § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs) |
| Ground Sign | 20 feet (min. 10 ft clearance to ground) | 32 sq. ft. | — | Standing signs must be 3 ft from property line (§ 200-5.6C(4)) | 1 per site | On site | — | § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs) |
| Ladder Sign | 20 feet (clearance to ground 30 inches) | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per site | On site | — | § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs) |
| Residential Complex or Subdivision Identification Sign | Not more than 8 feet; not less than 30 inches from ground | 24 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per subdivision/complex | At subdivision or complex entrance | — | § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 feet | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per business | On site—adjacent to business | — | § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs) |
| Standing Sign | 20 ft (CB District); 36 ft (IG, BEP Districts) | 32 sq. ft.; multi-tenant signs up to 90 sq. ft.; intersection sign max 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per business; 1 per intersection within property | On site, at business or at each interior roadway intersection | — | § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs) |

### CB District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Standing Sign (CB District) | 20 ft. | 32 sq. ft.; multi-tenant: 90 sq. ft.; intersection: 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per business; 1 per intersection | On site at business or at each internal roadway intersection | — | § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs) |

### IG District, BEP District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Standing Sign (IG, BEP Districts) | 36 ft. | 32 sq. ft.; multi-tenant: 90 sq. ft.; intersection: 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per business; 1 per intersection | On site at business or at each internal roadway intersection | — | § 200-5.6G (Table of Allowed Signs) |

## Prohibited signs in Charlton Town

- No sign shall be erected or maintained that obstructs or interferes with the free and clear vision of or from any street or driveway, or obstructs or simulates official directional or warning signs erected or maintained by a governmental entity.
- No sign shall be erected or maintained in any street right-of-way, on utility poles or trees.
- No roof signs shall be erected nor shall any sign project above the peak of a roof.
- No sign attached to a building shall project more than twelve (12) inches from the edge of the building, except for awning signs.
- No sign shall exceed the maximum height set forth in Subsection F.
- Pennants are prohibited in all zoning districts, except one-time use for grand openings for thirty (30) days or less with a permit from the Building Inspector.
- Any sign which may be confused with or construed as a public safety device or sign or traffic or emergency light because of its color, shape or design is prohibited.
- Any sign which incorporates moving, flashing, undulating, swinging, rotating or the electronic, visual representation of motion or animation by intermittent or variable illumination is prohibited, except as stated in specific exceptions.
- Signs constructed, mounted or maintained upon the roof of any building are prohibited.
- Off-premises signs are prohibited.
- Exposed neon signs are prohibited.
- Billboards are prohibited.
- Signs emitting sound are prohibited, except drive-through menu signs.
- Signs placed upon unregistered vehicles are prohibited. No commercial or industrial sign may be erected on or attached to any vehicle except for signs applied directly to the surface of the vehicle, and the vehicle must primarily be used for business operation, not advertising. The vehicle cannot be parked in a public right-of-way for advertising purposes.
- No sign shall contain any moving, flashing, or animated lights or visible moving parts. Wind-driven, whirling, or spinning signs, or signs with 'whirligigs' are prohibited.
- Spotlights providing direct illumination to the public and beacons of any type are prohibited.
- Illumination of attraction devices or signs which fluctuate in light intensity are prohibited.
- Any sign not specifically allowed in this ordinance is prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Charlton Town

- Flags and insignia of any government, except when displayed in connection with commercial promotion.
- Temporary devices erected for a charitable or religious cause, provided they are removed within five (5) days of erection.
- Temporary displays inside windows, covering not more than thirty percent (30%) of window area, illuminated by building illumination only.
- Integral decorative or architectural features of a building, including letters, logos and trademarks.
- Devices identifying a building as distinct from one or more of its occupants, when carved into or attached as an integral part of the building, not illuminated separately from building illumination, without color contrasting with background, and not exceeding four (4) square feet in area.
- Address identification through numerals or letters.
- 'For Sale,' 'For Rent' or political signs.
- Window displays of merchandise or signs incidental to the display of merchandise.
- Gasoline station signs required by local, state or federal regulations.
- Signs erected by municipal, county, state or federal government as deemed necessary for their respective functions, in accordance with the standards of this section.
- Signs not exceeding five (5) square feet in area indicating 'entrance,' 'exit,' 'parking,' 'no trespassing,' or similar, erected on premises for the direction of persons or vehicles.
- Youth athletic league sponsor ads or banners, affixed during active league season schedule onto a fence at public recreational facilities.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Every application for a sign permit must be accompanied by a scaled, dimensioned drawing showing the size and location of the sign on the property or building.
- Signs located along or designed to be visible from a roadway designated as a scenic road must be reviewed by the Planning Board prior to issuance of a sign permit.
- Signs in an historic district require certification by the Historic District Commission prior to a permit.
- A special permit (by the Planning Board) or a variance (by the Zoning Board of Appeals) may be required for certain signs or deviations.
- For certain increases in standing sign area (e.g. up to 50 square feet), a special permit is required from the Planning Board.
- No explicit requirement for a 'master sign plan' is referenced, but a plan/drawing is always required with the permit application.

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

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