# Sign Regulations in Franklin Town, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Franklin Town, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/franklin-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/10433718#10433718)

## At a glance

Franklin Town, Massachusetts regulates 13 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Downtown Commercial District (DCD) zoning district are capped at See Attachment 10, Schedule of Permitted Signs Per Sign District and No wider than distance between uprights wide, with a 10 feet from ROW (may be reduced to 5 feet with administrative approval) setback (Sec. § 185-20C(4)(b)[2],[3],[4],[5],[6], § 185-20C(3)(a), § 185-20C(3)(b), § 185-20B(3)(a)). Most commercial signs in Franklin Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Downtown Commercial District (DCD) | 3 | — | See Attachment 10, Schedule of Permitted Signs Per Sign District | — |
| Commercial and Business Corridor District (CBCD) | 3 | — | See Attachment 10, Schedule of Permitted Signs Per Sign District | — |
| Industrial and Office Park District (IOPD) | 3 | — | See Attachment 10, Schedule of Permitted Signs Per Sign District | — |
| Residential District (RD) | 3 | — | See Attachment 10, Schedule of Permitted Signs Per Sign District | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 10 | — | 20 sq. ft. | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### Downtown Commercial District (DCD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | See Attachment 10, Schedule of Permitted Signs Per Sign District | — | — | — | Building façades within DCD | — | § 185-20C(2)(a), § 185-20C(3)(a), § 185-20C(3)(b), § 185-20H(1)(a), § 185-20H(4)(a), § 185-20B(3)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign | — | See Attachment 10, Schedule of Permitted Signs Per Sign District | No wider than distance between uprights | 10 feet from ROW (may be reduced to 5 feet with administrative approval) | One per property with multiple establishments unless Exception | At least 10 feet from the road right-of-way, except may be reduced to 5 feet by Building Commissioner and Police Chief approval | — | § 185-20C(4)(b)[2],[3],[4],[5],[6], § 185-20C(3)(a), § 185-20C(3)(b), § 185-20B(3)(a) |
| Temporary Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. unless otherwise specified in Attachment 10 | — | — | — | Attached to the structure where business is located; not within right-of-way or on town property | — | § 185-20D(1)(a)-(g), § 185-20B(2) |

### Commercial and Business Corridor District (CBCD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | See Attachment 10, Schedule of Permitted Signs Per Sign District | — | — | — | Building façades within CBCD | — | § 185-20C(3)(a), § 185-20C(3)(b), § 185-20B(3)(b), § 185-20C(4)(c)[1] |
| Freestanding Sign | — | See Attachment 10, Schedule of Permitted Signs Per Sign District | No wider than distance between uprights | 10 feet from ROW | One per property with multiple establishments unless Exception | At least 10 feet from the road right-of-way | — | § 185-20C(4)(b)[2],[3],[4],[5],[6], § 185-20C(3)(a), § 185-20C(3)(b), § 185-20B(3)(b), § 185-20C(4)(c)[1] |
| Temporary Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. unless otherwise specified in Attachment 10 | — | — | — | Attached to the structure where business is located; not within right-of-way or on town property | — | § 185-20D(1)(a)-(g), § 185-20B(2), § 185-20B(3)(b) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Fire Lane Sign | — | — | — | — | As determined by Fire Chief/Safety Officer | At all designated fire lanes (number of signs required designated by Fire Chief/Safety Officer) | — | § 86-3(A)-(C) |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential) | — | 5 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | § 185-20D(2)(a) |
| Real Estate Sign (Non-residential/Other) | — | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | § 185-20D(2)(a) |
| Non-profit Event Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Designated Town locations by permit | — | § 185-20D(2)(b) |
| Directional / Directory Sign | — | 1 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | § 185-20F(2) |
| Public Safety Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 185-20F(1) |
| Political Sign | — | See Attachment 10, Schedule of Permitted Signs Per Sign District for dimensions | — | — | — | — | — | § 185-20F(5) |
| "No Bare Feet" Sign | — | — | — | — | — | In any business establishment as listed | — | § 196-1 |

## Prohibited signs in Franklin Town

- No person or corporation shall place, maintain or display upon or in view of any street any unofficial device, sign, signal, curb marking or street marking which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic device, sign, signal, curb marking or street marking or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic or which hides from view an official sign, signal, marking or device.
- Any sign having a part that moves or flashes, or signs of the traveling light or animated type, and all beacons and flashing devices, whether a part of, attached to or separate from a sign, are prohibited.
- No liquid crystal display or light emitting diode signs are permitted within the Town of Franklin other than gas station signs displaying one price and no more than 16 square feet in size.
- Roof signs, billboard signs, inflatable signs or banners are prohibited.
- No flags shall be allowed with the exception of those permitted in the ordinance's exemption section.
- No temporary sign shall be internally or externally illuminated.
- No temporary signs shall be allowed within the Town right-of-way or on Town property unless prescribed by bylaw.
- No temporary sign shall be allowed that obstructs visibility, interferes with public access, or is otherwise determined to be a safety hazard by the Building Commissioner in consultation with the Police Chief.
- No sign shall overhang a public way without prior written approval from the Town Administrator and proof of insurance.
- All signs shall be structurally sound and free from all hazards caused or resulting from decay or the failure of structural members, fixtures, lighting or appurtenances.
- All signs shall be maintained in readable and clean condition and the site of the sign shall be maintained free of weeds, debris and rubbish.
- The Building Commissioner may order immediate removal of any sign requiring a permit which has been erected without first obtaining such permit.

## Signs exempt from permit in Franklin Town

- Any sign permitted by the Building Commissioner as necessary for public safety or the public health.
- Directional signs and directory signs bearing only property numbers, names of occupants or premises or other identification of premises, not exceeding one square foot in area and having no commercial connotations.
- Flags and insignia of the United States government or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and historical date plaques or markers approved by the Historical Commission.
- Legal notices, identification, informational or directional signs erected or required by government bodies.
- Political signs are exempt, except they are subject to the dimensional requirements in the Schedule of Permitted Signs per Sign District.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs within the Commercial and Business Corridor District (CBCD), Downtown Commercial District (DCD), Industrial and Office Park District (IOPD), or Residential District (RD) are required to obtain approval from the Design Review Commission prior to the issuance of a sign permit from the Building Commissioner.
- All new signs and sign modifications must be reviewed and approved by the Design Review Commission prior to issuance of a building permit.
- Applicants must submit application materials including plans/renderings for review of signs; incomplete applications may be refused.
- A 'plan showing the proposed location of existing signs or proposed signs and any proposed landscaping, if applicable to sign area,' must be submitted with an application for new or modified signs.
- Any applicant may appeal a Design Review Commission decision to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) within 10 days of the decision.
- Any applicant may appeal the Building Commissioner's order of removal to the Zoning Board of Appeals within 10 days of written notice.

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

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