# Sign Regulations in Great Barrington Town, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Great Barrington Town, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/great-barrington-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/28651722#28651722)

## At a glance

Great Barrington Town, Massachusetts regulates 24 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Business Districts, Industrial Districts zoning district are capped at 5 ft above grade or 5 ft greater than distance from traveled way or max 20 ft above traveled way tall and 24 square feet, with a Not within 10 feet of traveled way; special clearances apply if within 20 feet setback (Sec. §146-4.C; §146-8.E). Most commercial signs in Great Barrington Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts | 5 | — | 12 square feet | — |
| Business Districts, Industrial Districts | 13 | 5 ft above grade or 5 ft greater than distance from traveled way or max 20 ft above traveled way | Max 200 square feet (if hung on facade) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | — | 8 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (Residential Districts) | — | 8 square feet in aggregate | — | — | — | — | — | §146-5.L |
| On-Premises Sign (Nonresidential Use in Residential District) | — | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 | Per premises | — | §146-7.B |
| Institutional Use Sign (Hospital/Nursing Home/Institutional) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §146-7.A |
| Subdivision Sign (Per Entrance) | — | 12 square feet each | — | — | 1 per entrance | At each entrance from public way to the subdivision | — | §146-7.C |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential Districts) | — | 6 square feet | — | 3 feet from street line or 10 feet from traveled way, whichever is greater | 1 | On property being sold or rented | — | §146-5.J |

### Business Districts, Industrial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sandwich Board Sign | — | 6 square feet per side; max width 2 feet, 2 sides | 2 feet | — | 1 | Adjacent to the building where the business is located or within 50 feet of main entrance | — | §146-4.J, §146-6.I |
| Freestanding Sign | 5 ft above grade or 5 ft greater than distance from traveled way or max 20 ft above traveled way | 24 square feet | — | Not within 10 feet of traveled way; special clearances apply if within 20 feet | 1 per premises (unless corner lot) | At premises, not within 10 feet of traveled way; if within 20 feet of traveled way, 8 ft min clearance between grade and bottom or max 5 ft above grade | — | §146-4.C; §146-8.E |
| Business Center Sign (Freestanding) | — | 100 square feet total (of which 24 sq ft for the center, 10 sq ft max per business) | — | — | 1 per business center | Along road frontage of business center | — | §146-8.D |
| Projecting Sign | — | 15 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | Projecting from building, not to extend more than 3 feet from building, not less than 3 feet from curbline | — | §146-4.H; §146-8.H |
| Awning Sign | — | 2 square feet per elevation, 4 square feet total per awning | — | — | — | On awning | — | §146-8.A; §146-4.B |
| Building-Mounted On-Premises Signs (includes Wall, Window, Projecting, Directory) | — | 100 sq. ft. per sign (individual); 150 sq. ft. aggregate (per facade) | — | — | — | On facade facing public way or parking area | — | §146-8.C |
| Canopy Sign (Gas Station) | — | 18 square feet total per premises | — | — | — | On vertical surface(s) of attached or freestanding canopy(ies) | — | §146-8.F |
| Banner | — | Max 200 square feet (if hung on facade) | — | — | 2 per event | On building or spanning public way (with Board of Selectmen permit for spanning); allowed in business/industrial districts only | — | §146-6.A |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Incidental Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | — | On premises | — | §146-5.E; §146-2 |
| Directional Sign (General) | — | 2 square feet each (specified in §146-5.F); 2 sq. ft for institutions, also per §146-6.E | — | — | — | As needed for traffic control to parking, hospitals, etc. | — | §146-5.F, §146-6.E |
| Memorial Sign | — | 8 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | §146-5.H |
| Noncommercial Sign | — | 2 square feet in aggregate per premises | — | — | — | On-premises, may include professional office or home occupation | — | §146-5.I |
| Real Estate Sign (All Districts) | — | 8 sq. ft per premises in nonresidential; 6 sq. ft in residential | — | 3 ft from street line or 10 ft from traveled way | 1 | On property for sale/rent | — | §146-5.J |
| Holiday Decoration or Light | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §146-5.D |

## Prohibited signs in Great Barrington Town

- Abandoned signs must be removed within 120 days of abandonment or cessation of business.
- No sign, except for posters or temporary signs, shall use any day-glow or fluorescent colors on either its copy or background.
- All signs must be maintained in good repair, good structural condition, and in compliance with building and electrical codes.
- No sign shall be erected that obstructs any door, window, fire escape, or interferes with the proper functioning of any building.
- No sign shall constitute a hazard to public safety or health by its location, inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, abandonment, obstruction of sight distances, or interference with pedestrian safety.
- Sign posts and supports shall not contain lettering and shall be kept plumb and in good condition.
- No sign shall be erected that obstructs traffic sight lines for drivers or pedestrians.
- No sign shall be permitted on trees, light poles, telephone poles, or street identification signs, except those erected by the Town or Commonwealth for safety purposes.
- Animated signs, rotating signs, rotating beacons, electronic message signs or centers, and otherwise moving signs are prohibited in all zoning districts.
- Laser/holographic signs are prohibited in all zoning districts.
- Portable signs, including movable wheeled signs, are prohibited in all districts except as specified.
- No sign shall use amber, red, or green lights resembling traffic signals, or the words 'stop,' 'caution,' 'danger,' or similar that may be construed as a public safety warning or traffic sign.
- No illuminated sign shall employ flashing, intermittent, rotating, or moving light.
- No illuminated sign or lighting device shall be placed or directed to cause glare or reflection that may constitute a traffic hazard or nuisance.
- No roof signs shall be permitted in any zoning district.
- No building-mounted sign shall project above any eave, parapet, or roof surface.
- No sign shall be erected unlawfully imitating or resembling official traffic signs or signals, or hiding from view any such official sign.
- It is unlawful to place, maintain, or display upon or in view of any street any unofficial sign, signal, or device imitating or resembling official traffic devices.
- It is unlawful to willfully deface, injure, move, obstruct, or interfere with any official traffic sign, signal, or marking.

## Signs exempt from permit in Great Barrington Town

- Governmental flags and insignia, except those displayed with a commercial message or for a commercial promotion, are allowed in all districts.
- Historic signs are allowed in all districts.
- Historical markers erected by a historical association, governmental agency, or for property on historic registers are allowed in all districts.
- Holiday lights and decorations without commercial messages and displayed for a limited time are allowed in all districts.
- Incidental signs (no larger than two square feet, secondary purpose) are allowed in all districts.
- Informational and directional signs no greater than two square feet each, directing traffic to hospitals, parking, cultural institutions, or permitted uses, are allowed in all districts.
- Legal notices and identifications not exceeding two square feet, including 'No Trespassing' and 'No Hunting,' are allowed in all districts.
- Signs with no commercial message bearing only house numbers, post box numbers, resident names, or identification of premises (up to two square feet aggregate per premises) are allowed in all districts; professional office or home occupation identification permitted.
- One real estate sign per premises ('For Sale,' 'For Rent,' or 'For Lease') is allowed in any district, with specific size and removal rules.
- Signs described in MGL c. 93, § 32 are allowed in all districts.
- Works of art not containing a commercial message are allowed in all districts.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Site plan review by the Planning Board includes ensuring compliance with sign regulations as part of the site plan approval process (see § 146-19).
- Marquee and marquee signs (for theaters or cinemas) require a special permit from the Planning Board including submission of stamped engineering drawings and inspection approval (§ 146-4F, § 146-9, § 146-9A).
- A special permit from the Planning Board (variance) is required to deviate from any sign requirement in Chapter 146 (§ 146-20).

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Great Barrington Town, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Great+Barrington+Town+MA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-great-barrington-town

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