# Sign Regulations in Dedham Town, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Dedham Town, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/dedham-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/15734412#15734412)

## At a glance

Dedham Town, Massachusetts regulates 16 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Multi-tenant residential)s in the Residential Districts zoning district are capped at 5 ft. tall and 15 sq. ft., with a 3 ft. front, 5 ft. side setback setback (Sec. §237-21A(2), (4)). Most commercial signs in Dedham Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts | 5 | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — |
| Central Business, Local Business, General Business | 3 | 8 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — |
| Highway Business | 2 | 20 ft. | 100 sq. ft. | — |
| Limited Manufacturing A & B | 3 | 12 ft. | 100 sq. ft. | — |
| Research Development & Office | 2 | 12 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — |
| Planned Commercial | 1 | — | — | — |
| Senior Campus | 4 | 12 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 3.5 ft. (frame); 3 ft. (panel) | Panels: 2 ft. x 3 ft.; Frame: 2 ft. x 3.5 ft. | — |

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

### Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign (Single-family or residential use) | — | 2 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 | On building or property | — | §237-17A, §237-21A(1) |
| Temporary Sign | — | 9 sq. ft. | — | — | — | On property | — | §237-17B, §237-19M |
| Freestanding Sign (Multi-tenant residential) | 5 ft. | 15 sq. ft. | — | 3 ft. front, 5 ft. side setback | 1 per lot | On property | — | §237-21A(2), (4) |
| Wall Sign (Multi-tenant residential) | — | 15 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot, in addition to Identification Sign | On building | — | §237-21A(2), §237-19N |
| Freestanding or Wall Sign (Institutional uses) | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | — | On property or building | — | §237-21A(3) |

### Senior Campus

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign | 5 ft. if freestanding | 4 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 | Wall or freestanding | — | §237-21G(2), §237-19E |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Building wall | — | §237-21G(3), §237-19N |
| Freestanding Sign | 12 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — | 5 ft. front, 10 ft. side; sign height ≤ setback to res. zone | 1 per lot | On lot | — | §237-21G(4)(5) |
| Lighted/Unlighted Sign (Visible outside SC district) | — | 15 sq. ft. | — | — | — | On property | — | §237-21G(5) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Awnings installed on ground floor of building | — | §237-19A, §237-20E, §237-16I |
| Directory Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Entrance of multitenant building, lot, park, or campus | — | §237-5B(2) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 3.5 ft. (frame); 3 ft. (panel) | Panels: 2 ft. x 3 ft.; Frame: 2 ft. x 3.5 ft. | 2 ft. | — | 1 per business | Within 30 ft. of business main entrance, on sidewalk or property; in front of establishment; may be placed in public way as allowed | — | §237-5B(6), §237-19K, §237-20F |
| Banner Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Private land or over public right-of-way per §237-13F | — | §237-5B(7), §237-13F |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Window, within 3 ft. of glass, facing outside | — | §237-19O |
| Incidental Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On property | — | §237-19F, §237-5B(4) |

## Prohibited signs in Dedham Town

- No sign shall be erected, enlarged, redesigned, structurally altered, or used without a sign permit issued by the Building Commissioner, unless specifically exempted.
- A sign may be erected, placed, established, painted, created, or maintained in the town only in conformance with the standards, procedures, exemptions, and other requirements of this chapter.
- No sign shall be allowed in the public right-of-way, except as specifically permitted by the ordinance.
- Any sign not authorized pursuant to this section is prohibited.
- The placement of a sign without a required sign permit shall be unlawful.
- Animated signs (except as provided for under Article IV, Special Regulations) are prohibited.
- Beacons are prohibited.
- Billboards are prohibited.
- Commercial messages that are not mounted on a building, awning/canopy, freestanding sign, or other expressly permitted sign or mounting condition are prohibited.
- Digital display signs (except as provided for under Article IV, Special Regulations) are prohibited.
- Neon-type signs (except as provided for under Article IV, Special Regulations) are prohibited.
- Off-premises signs (except as provided for under Article IV, Special Regulations) are prohibited.
- Pennant signs are prohibited.
- Portable signs, other than sandwich board signs as provided for under Article IV, are prohibited.
- Roof signs, unless granted as a waiver by DRAB for a Creative Sign, are prohibited.
- Signs having red or green lights erected within sight of a traffic signal are prohibited, unless approved as non-hazardous by the Chief of Police.
- Signs which obscure or tend to block a clear view of traffic, warning and control signs or signals, pedestrian crosswalks, or handicapped access ramps, or any sign that the Commissioner determines may endanger public safety, are prohibited.
- No sign may be lighted except by a steady, stationary source shielded and directed at the sign, except as specifically provided for in this chapter.
- No illumination shall be permitted which casts direct light or glare beyond the perimeter of the property on which the sign is located.
- No illumination shall be permitted which casts direct light or glare onto any residential premises or onto any portion of a way as to create a traffic hazard.
- No pylon, pole, or sign-supporting structure shall be illuminated, except as required by other applicable state or federal law.
- No sign shall be illuminated in any district beyond the business hours of the establishment to which it pertains nor between 12:00 a.m. midnight and 6:00 a.m. unless allowable business hours extend into such period.
- No internally illuminated, digital display, or changeable copy signs shall be permitted in any residential districts or limited manufacturing district.

## Signs exempt from permit in Dedham Town

- Any sign erected or required by public agencies pursuant to federal, state, or local law.
- Public signs erected by or on behalf of a governmental body to post legal notices, to identify public property, to convey public information, and to direct or regulate pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
- Signs that are not illuminated and are not visible from any area to which the public has the right to access.
- Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door, that is not visible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the lot or parcel on which such sign is located.
- On-premises traffic control devices on private property, the faces of which meet Department of Transportation standards, and which additionally contain only the name or logo of the business.
- Flags of a government, political subdivision, or other non-commercial institution.
- Memorials such as gravestones and cornerstones.
- Historical markers installed or approved by a public agency or duly established historical society.
- Awning sign limited to a single line of lettering no more than 6 inches high.
- Identification sign of no more than two square feet in area for a residence.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required for the erection, enlargement, redesign, structural alteration, or use of any sign, except for specifically exempted signs.
- Certain sign types (e.g., awning sign, directory sign, identification sign, incidental sign, temporary signs over nine square feet, sandwich board, banner sign) require a sign permit via administrative review but do not require Design Review Advisory Board (DRAB) review.
- All other sign types, and all illuminated signs, require DRAB review incidental to administrative review.
- Where a proposed sign does not meet the requirements of the ordinance, as determined by the Building Commissioner upon submission of a sign permit application, DRAB may grant a waiver from such requirements.
- A sign package (master sign plan) may be requested for planned commercial developments, all multi-tenant buildings with more than six tenants, and all lots with more than one building. An approved sign package allows for streamlined permitting for multiple tenants in a single building or on a lot; all signs within a package must follow code regulations. Sign packages containing noncomplying signs require one or more waivers from DRAB.
- For properties with an approved sign package on file with DRAB, the Building Commissioner shall issue a sign permit for a sign that conforms to that sign package.
- A sign package is required for a planned commercial development and permitted sign types and locations are as defined by the sign package approved by DRAB.
- A DRAB decision and possibly a public hearing are required for a waiver or for noncomplying signs.
- Applicants are encouraged to consult the Planning and Zoning Department prior to submitting a sign permit application.
- If a sign permit application does not comply and does not request a waiver, the applicant may resubmit into compliance or request a waiver.

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

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