# Sign Regulations in Mansfield, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Mansfield, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/mansfield
- **Data last verified:** 2025-11-13
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/28867196#28867361)

## At a glance

Mansfield, Massachusetts regulates 11 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Industrial Districts (Industrial 1 - Higher Density Industrial (I1), Industrial 2 - Limited Industrial (I2), Industrial 3 - Mixed Use Industrial (I3)) zoning district are capped at 15 feet tall and 30 square feet per side, or a total of 45 square feet if parallel to a frontage road, with a at least a ten-foot setback from the property line setback (Sec. § 230-4.7B(1)). Most commercial signs in Mansfield require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Districts (Business 1 - Central Business (B1), Business 2 - Downtown Mixed Use (B2), Business 3 - Highway Business (B3), Business 4 - Gateway Business (B4)) | 4 | 36 inches | 16 square feet per side; maximum 32 square feet per building | — |
| Industrial Districts (Industrial 1 - Higher Density Industrial (I1), Industrial 2 - Limited Industrial (I2), Industrial 3 - Mixed Use Industrial (I3)) | 4 | 15 feet | 30 square feet per side, or a total of 45 square feet if parallel to a frontage road | — |
| Planned Business District (PBD - Industrial Park) | 4 | 15 feet | 30 square feet per side, or a total of 45 square feet if parallel to a frontage road | — |
| Reservoir District (RD) | 4 | 15 feet | 30 square feet per side, or a total of 45 square feet if parallel to a frontage road | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | — | 32 square feet per side | — |

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

### Industrial Districts (Industrial 1 - Higher Density Industrial (I1), Industrial 2 - Limited Industrial (I2), Industrial 3 - Mixed Use Industrial (I3))

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 15 feet | 30 square feet per side, or a total of 45 square feet if parallel to a frontage road | — | at least a ten-foot setback from the property line | one per building | — | — | § 230-4.7B(1) |
| Monument Sign | 15 feet | 30 square feet per side, or a total of 45 square feet if parallel to a frontage road | — | at least a ten-foot setback from the property line | one per building | — | — | § 230-4.7B(1) |
| Front Wall Sign | — | — | no greater than 1/3 of the front building wall length | — | one per building | front wall | — | § 230-4.7B(2) |
| Rear Wall Sign | — | not larger than 16 square feet | not greater than 20% of the rear facade of the building (for secondary frontage) | — | one per building | rear wall or secondary frontage on a public or private way or public or private parking lot | — | § 230-4.7B(3) |

### Planned Business District (PBD - Industrial Park)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 15 feet | 30 square feet per side, or a total of 45 square feet if parallel to a frontage road | — | at least a ten-foot setback from the property line | one per building | — | — | § 230-4.7B(1) |
| Monument Sign | 15 feet | 30 square feet per side, or a total of 45 square feet if parallel to a frontage road | — | at least a ten-foot setback from the property line | one per building | — | — | § 230-4.7B(1) |
| Front Wall Sign | — | — | no greater than 1/3 of the front building wall length | — | one per building | front wall | — | § 230-4.7B(2) |
| Rear Wall Sign | — | not larger than 16 square feet | not greater than 20% of the rear facade of the building (for secondary frontage) | — | one per building | rear wall or secondary frontage on a public or private way or public or private parking lot | — | § 230-4.7B(3) |

### Reservoir District (RD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 15 feet | 30 square feet per side, or a total of 45 square feet if parallel to a frontage road | — | at least a ten-foot setback from the property line | one per building | — | — | § 230-4.7B(1) |
| Monument Sign | 15 feet | 30 square feet per side, or a total of 45 square feet if parallel to a frontage road | — | at least a ten-foot setback from the property line | one per building | — | — | § 230-4.7B(1) |
| Front Wall Sign | — | — | no greater than 1/3 of the front building wall length | — | one per building | front wall | — | § 230-4.7B(2) |
| Rear Wall Sign | — | not larger than 16 square feet | not greater than 20% of the rear facade of the building (for secondary frontage) | — | one per building | rear wall or secondary frontage on a public or private way or public or private parking lot | — | § 230-4.7B(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Mansfield

- Signs in excess of 12 square feet which overhang public ways.
- Animated signs, except for barber poles.
- Off-site directional signs in excess of three square feet.
- Pennants, flags, whirligigs and banners.
- Intermittently lighted signs.
- Illuminated signs which cause any glare distracting to drivers, or are in such a position or of such color as to hamper the readability of traffic lights or other traffic signs.
- Billboards or other off-site advertising.
- Wall signs shall not extend above roof lines.
- No freestanding sign shall be constructed on the roof of building.

## Signs exempt from permit in Mansfield

- One sign for identification, announcement of professional or home occupations, or announcements of membership of an occupant or occupants of a dwelling in a professional, fraternal, or service organization, or announcement of use of any other property, not exceeding three square feet in area.
- Temporary signs may be displayed for a period of one year, during construction of the premises. The size of the temporary signs shall not exceed 32 square feet per side.
- Off-site directional signs, provided they do not exceed three square feet in area and not more than two per establishment, provided they are not located within a public right-of-way.
- Temporary signs advertising public and civic events.

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

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