# Sign Regulations in North Reading Town, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** North Reading Town, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/north-reading-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/10385040#10385040)

## At a glance

North Reading Town, Massachusetts regulates 19 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Business District, Industrial District, Local Business Zoning District, General Business Zoning District zoning district are capped at 25 ft tall and 40 sq ft, with a At least 20 ft from any street curbline or 15 ft from front property line where no curb exists setback (Sec. §200-81A(3), §200-80N, §200-80O). Most commercial signs in North Reading Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 12 | — | 16 sq ft | — |
| Business District, Industrial District, Local Business Zoning District, General Business Zoning District | 5 | 25 ft | 150 sq ft or 10% of wall area, lesser | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | 40 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On-site | — | §200-79B(2) |
| Signs for Religious, Non-profit, Educational, Government Institution | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | — | Accessory to use of premises | — | §200-79B(3) |
| Directory Sign (Multiple Occupants) | — | 1 sq ft per occupant OR 20 sq ft total (whichever is less) | — | — | 1 per building | On or adjacent to entry of building | — | §200-79B(5) |
| Directional Sign (Entrance, Exit, Parking) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | Erected for direction of persons or vehicles | — | §200-79B(7) |
| Contractor’s Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | 15 ft from street lot line | 1 | Maintained while construction is in progress | — | §200-79B(8) |
| Subdivision / Multi-family Entrance Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Public entrance to a subdivision or multi-family development | — | §200-79B(9) |
| Political Sign | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | — | Private property | — | §200-79B(10) |
| Nonconforming Business/Commercial Use Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | — | Accessory to nonconforming business or commercial use | — | §200-82 |

### Business District, Industrial District, Local Business Zoning District, General Business Zoning District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 150 sq ft or 10% of wall area, lesser | — | — | — | Parallel to and attached in its entirety to a wall | — | §200-81A(1), §200-80N, §200-80O |
| Projecting Sign | — | 40 sq ft | — | Set back at least 15 ft from street lot line | — | Attached to any wall of the building | — | §200-81A(2), §200-80N, §200-80O |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 ft | 40 sq ft | — | At least 20 ft from any street curbline or 15 ft from front property line where no curb exists | No more than one per premise (§200-80E) | — | — | §200-81A(3), §200-80N, §200-80O |
| Multi-Tenant Sign (Wall or Freestanding) | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Facing each street on which premises have frontage | — | §200-81B(2), §200-80N, §200-80O |
| Wall Sign (Individual Businesses in Plaza/Shopping Center) | — | 150 sq ft or 15% of wall area to business, lesser | — | — | — | On assigned wall area | — | §200-81B(3), §200-80N, §200-80O |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Signs bearing name of occupant (Address Sign) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §200-79B(1) |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 6 sq ft in residential, 20 sq ft in business or industrial | — | — | — | On-site | — | §200-79B(2) |
| Temporary Grand Opening Sign | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §200-79B(13) |

## Prohibited signs in North Reading Town

- Signs that are not specifically authorized are expressly prohibited.
- Moving or flashing signs; signs illuminated by or including any flashing or oscillating light; electronic billboards and reader boards; strings of pennants or 'whirlygigs' and the like (excluding signs designed to align with wind for structural reasons). Flashing or animated signs of any color are not permitted.
- All portable signs, except as otherwise provided. Portable signs include signs mounted, attached, or painted on trailers, boats or vehicles when used as additional signage on or near the business premises. Business vehicles displaying signage or advertising must be parked in a non-street-adjacent assigned parking space.
- Temporary signs except as provided by permit exemptions.
- More than two exterior permanent signs for any one business or industrial establishment or residential premises.
- More than one freestanding sign.
- All signs mounted on or applied to trees, utility poles, rocks, or town owned property, except as otherwise provided.
- All banners, pennants, streamers, balloons, flags, search lights, strobe lights, beacons, and inflatable signs, except as otherwise provided.
- Service or bay door mounted sign banners or advertising.
- Any sign imitating or obscuring an official traffic control sign or signal.
- Any sign placed on private property without the property owner's written approval.
- Any non-public signs in a public right-of-way or on public property, except approved banner signs installed pursuant to the North Reading Banner Program Guidelines. The Town may install signs on its own property for public purposes; any non-public sign placed otherwise is subject to confiscation.
- Billboards or other off-premises signs.
- Roof signs.
- Neon signs, or other direct-lighted signs are not permitted in residential districts and the local business and general business zoning districts.
- Internally and externally illuminated signs with any animation, flashing, or intermittent image or illumination that includes electronic, video, fixed, floating or moving text and/or picture, including the use of television, plasma, digital screens, LEDs, LCDs, fiber optics, holographs or hologram displays—other than those erected by public entities for public safety or traffic control.

## Signs exempt from permit in North Reading Town

- Signs bearing the name of the occupant of a dwelling, not exceeding two square feet in area.
- On-site real estate signs, not exceeding six square feet in a residential district or twenty square feet in a business or industrial district; such signs to be removed upon sale or rental.
- Signs accessory to the use of premises by religious, non-profit, or educational institutions, or by a governmental authority, not exceeding sixteen square feet.
- Street name signs and signs erected by the Town, County or Commonwealth for traffic direction and control.
- Signs on or adjacent to the entry of a multiple occupancy building listing the occupants, provided the sign does not exceed one square foot per occupant or a total of twenty square feet, whichever is smaller, and only one such sign per building.
- Signs designating historical places or points of interest, erected by governmental authority or a duly chartered historical association, not exceeding six square feet.
- Signs indicating 'Entrance', 'Exit', 'Parking', or similar, erected on a premises for directional purposes, not exceeding two square feet and not containing the business name or product.
- One contractor's sign, not exceeding twelve square feet, maintained on premises while construction is in progress and removed promptly after completion, set back at least fifteen feet from the street lot line.
- One identification sign, not exceeding twelve square feet, at a public entrance to a subdivision or multi-family development.
- Political signs not exceeding sixteen square feet on private property, provided they do not create a safety hazard and are removed within seven days after the election.
- One sign not exceeding six square feet designating an official motor vehicle inspection station, to be located at the Building Inspector's discretion.
- Temporary yard sale signs and real estate 'open house' signs for a period not exceeding forty-eight hours.
- Temporary 'grand opening' signs not exceeding forty square feet for a period not exceeding fourteen days.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- For shopping or business centers (multiple businesses sharing lot/ingress/egress/parking), the property owner may submit, for special permit approval, a master signage plan specifying consistency standards among all signs. The plan must include: a plot plan, locations of buildings/parking/landscaping, computation of sign areas/heights/numbers, indication of proposed/future sign locations, signage details (color, lighting, graphics, materials, etc.), and any additional owner-imposed provisions.
- A master signage plan may be amended by filing a new plan that meets current requirements.
- For properties with a master signage plan, all signs (existing and new) must conform to the plan within three years of the plan's approval.
- Once a master signage plan is approved, no sign may be erected, placed, painted, or maintained except in conformance with said plan.
- A master signage plan with special permit approval may allow up to a 25% increase in maximum total sign area, subject to additional permit requirements.
- After master signage plan approval, the plan is enforceable like any provision of the bylaw; in any conflict between the plan and the bylaw, the bylaw controls.
- All applications for special permits, including those for signs requiring such permits (such as increased size, number, roof signs, etc.), are subject to site plan review.

## Full detail

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

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