# Sign Regulations in Haverhill, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Haverhill, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/haverhill
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-21
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/6261933#6261933)

## At a glance

Haverhill, Massachusetts regulates 23 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Multiple-Use Identification Sign (Shopping Center)s in the CG District, CH District zoning district are capped at 24 ft from grade tall and 400 sq ft, with a Not beyond 10 feet of lot line setback (Sec. § 6.2.8.3.a). Most commercial signs in Haverhill 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 | 8 | 24 feet above ground/sidewalk/road (whichever is less); not above roofline | 600 sq ft (single face max 300 sq ft, back-to-back or V-type construction permitted, each face max 300 sq ft) | — |
| R District, S District | 5 | 6 ft (freestanding only) | 10 sq ft | — |
| CN District | 4 | — | 80 sq ft per lot frontage | — |
| CG District, CH District | 7 | 24 ft from grade | 400 sq ft | — |
| BG District, BP District, I District | 3 | — | 120 sq ft per building frontage | — |
| IP District | 1 | — | 600 sq ft (single face 300 sq ft) | — |
| PRD | 1 | — | — | — |
| WD | 3 | — | One sq ft per lineal ft of frontage, not to exceed 45 sq ft. Rear sign max 50% of front sign max area. | — |

## 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 | — | — | — | — | — | Parallel to building wall, not above roofline | — | § 6.2.2.1; § 213-1; § 213-2; § 141-2 |
| Projecting Sign | 24 feet above ground/sidewalk/road (whichever is less); not above roofline | — | — | — | — | Attached to wall, extends outward | — | § 6.2.2.2; § 222-21 |
| Freestanding Sign | 24 feet (unless otherwise specified) | — | — | 1/2 the required front yard setback if front yard required; 2 ft from curb if no curb | — | Yard or projecting as allowed | — | § 6.2.2.3 |
| Illuminated Sign (Projecting Over Public Way) | — | — | — | — | — | Projecting over public way | — | § 222-21 |
| Temporary Construction Sign | — | 16 sq ft per firm per sign | — | — | 1 per firm per street | Confined to site of construction | — | § 6.2.4.1 |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | Premises advertised | — | § 6.2.4.2 |
| Temporary Political Campaign Sign | — | 64 sq ft per candidate or ballot issue | — | — | — | On private property | — | § 6.2.4.4 |
| Nonaccessory Sign | — | 600 sq ft (single face max 300 sq ft, back-to-back or V-type construction permitted, each face max 300 sq ft) | — | 1/2 the building setback for the district | — | Must be visible only from interstate, federal and/or state highways; not within 1/2 building setback; not beyond property line | — | § 6.2.10 |

### R District, S District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign, Projecting Sign or Freestanding Sign | 6 ft (freestanding only) | — | — | 10 ft within side or front lot line | 1 per lot | Must not project or extend beyond a point 10 ft within any side or front lot line | — | § 6.2.7.2 |
| Professional Identification Sign | — | 7.5 sq ft on one face; 15 sq ft total area | — | — | One per building plus one per professional | — | — | § 6.2.7.3 |
| Occupancy Identification Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | One per dwelling unit | — | — | § 6.2.7.4 |
| Apartment Identification Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | One per development | — | — | § 6.2.7.5 |
| Community Facility Identification Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | One per use | — | — | § 6.2.7.6 |

### CG District, CH District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Accessory) | — | 120 sq ft per building frontage | — | — | One per building frontage per establishment | On wall, per establishment per frontage | — | § 6.2.8.1 |
| Projecting Sign (Accessory) | — | 80 sq ft per building frontage (CG); 120 sq ft per building frontage (CH) | — | — | One per lot frontage | On building, projects outward | — | § 6.2.8.2.a |
| Freestanding Sign (Accessory) | — | 120 sq ft per lot frontage (CG); 160 sq ft per lot frontage (CH) | — | — | One per lot frontage | Freestanding at lot frontage | — | § 6.2.8.2.b |
| Freestanding Sign (Temporary Sidewalk) | — | 9 sq ft | — | — | One per lot | Public way/sidewalk adjacent to building frontage | — | § 6.2.8.2.c |
| Multiple-Use Identification Sign (Shopping Center) | 24 ft from grade | 400 sq ft | — | Not beyond 10 feet of lot line | May allow 1 per 1,000 ft of frontage | Shopping center, not beyond point 10 ft within any lot line | — | § 6.2.8.3.a |
| Wall Sign (Shopping Center) | — | 120 sq ft (CG/CH) | — | — | One per frontage | Along pedestrian way frontage | — | § 6.2.8.3.b |
| Canopy Sign (Shopping Center) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | One per establishment | Bottom of canopy, face perpendicular to pedestrian way | — | § 6.2.8.6 |

## Prohibited signs in Haverhill

- No person shall post up or paint any placard, handbill, poster, notice or advertising design, or cut or carve any such notice or advertising design upon any object in any street or way or other public place without a permit from the Chief of Police.
- No person shall erect or maintain any billboards or bulletin boards in any street or way or public place without a permit from the Chief of Police.
- No person shall post, erect, display or maintain on any public way or on private property within public view from any highway, public park or reservation any billboard or advertising device without a permit from the City Council.
- No person shall post on or affix to any fence, wall, tree box, post, pole, including utility poles, or other structure within or bordering on any public street, way or ground any bill, placard, notice, poster or advertising design without a permit from the Chief of Police.
- No such matter (bills, placards, notices etc.) shall be posted or affixed to a billboard or bulletin board without the previously obtained consent of the owner.
- No person shall operate or park a vehicle on any street or highway for the sole purpose of displaying advertising signs, without a permit from the Chief of Police.
- No person shall place advertising on any building, facility or real property owned or controlled by the City without a permit from the City Council, unless otherwise provided for in the Code.
- No person shall willfully deface, injure, move, obstruct or interfere with any official traffic sign, signal, street sign or marking.
- 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, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic or hides from view any official sign or device.
- The light from any illuminated sign shall be so shaded or directed that the light intensity or brightness shall not be objectionable to surrounding areas.
- No sign shall have blinking, flashing or fluttering lights or any other illuminating device with changing light intensity, brightness or color. Beacon lights are not permitted.
- No colored lights shall be used in any manner so as to be confused with or construed as traffic control devices.
- Neither direct nor reflected light from signs shall create a traffic hazard.
- No exposed reflective-type bulbs and no strobe light or incandescent lamp shall be used on the exterior surface of any sign.
- Prohibited signs include those that contain or imitate official traffic signs or signals or include the words "stop," "go slow," "caution," "danger," "warning" or similar words.
- Signs are prohibited if of a size, location, movement, content, color, or illumination that may be confused with a traffic control device or which hides any traffic or street sign or signal.
- Signs that move or rotate or have a major moving part are prohibited.
- Signs containing banners, posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners, or any other similarly moving device are generally prohibited unless used to announce the opening of a new business and must be removed within 60 days.
- Prohibited are signs that may swing or noticeably move due to wind pressure, except as otherwise specified.
- Signs located on or attached to the roof of any building or top of a canopy are not permitted.
- All signs, either wall or freestanding, announcing businesses which have discontinued operation must be removed within five days of discontinuance.

## Signs exempt from permit in Haverhill

- Temporary signs (including construction signs, real estate signs, nonprofit/governmental event signs, political campaign signs, and show window signs with size and time restrictions) do not require a permit, cannot be illuminated, and shall not be in place for more than six months.
- Public signs of a noncommercial nature and in the public interest erected by, or on the order of, a public officer in the performance of public duty (e.g., safety signs, danger signs, trespassing signs, traffic signs, street signs, memorial plaques, historical markers, public project or school designation signs and the like) are exempt from the sign regulations except for construction and safety standards.
- Institutional signs (up to 24 square feet) for public institutions within their own premises are exempt; may be illuminated per regulations.
- Integral signs, names of buildings, dates of erection, monumental citations, commemorative tablets, and the like when carved into permanent construction and made part of the structure are exempt.
- Private traffic direction signs not exceeding five square feet each are exempt; horizontal direction signs on and flush with paved surface areas are exempt from all standards.
- Shipping and receiving space signs up to four square feet are exempt.
- Signs on vehicles of any kind are exempt.
- Holiday decorations of any kind are exempt.
- Nonaccessory signs identifying fraternal societies or service organizations (max 8 square feet, illuminated per regulations) are exempt.
- Political campaign headquarters' signs are exempt if the headquarters is in a C or I District and signs are within a building housing such headquarters.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Applications for billboards or advertising devices require referral to the Planning Board for a hearing and report before City Council permit issuance.
- Permits for illuminated signs projecting over a public way must include a plan drawn to scale showing the type of construction, size, material, and attachment method.
- Signage associated with multifamily dwellings and commercial buildings in PRDs shall be reviewed by the City during development review.
- Applications for signage or awnings on Merrimack Street under the waterfront zoning ordinance require design review and approval by the Planning Director prior to permit issuance; peer review may be engaged.
- For illuminated or electric/electronic signs in certain districts (e.g., WD waterfront), special approval of the Planning Area Authority (PAA) is required.

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

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