# Sign Regulations in Orleans Town, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Orleans Town, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/orleans-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/14199355#14199355)

## At a glance

Orleans Town, Massachusetts regulates 19 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (1-3 ft setback)s in the Business districts zoning district are capped at 3 ft tall and 6 sq ft, with a 1-3 ft setback from property line setback (Sec. §164-35.J(1)(a)(b)(2)). Most commercial signs in Orleans Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential or other zone | 7 | — | 6 sq ft | — |
| Business districts | 8 | 12 ft | 60 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | — | Up to 25% of window area on any one side; may exceed for up to 24 consecutive days two times a year | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential or other zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent Sign - Dwelling Identification | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per dwelling | Identifying the principal occupant of a dwelling | — | §164-35.C(3)(a) |
| Temporary Sign - Sale, Rent, or Lease | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property; up to 5 open house signs | On property for sale, rent, or lease; or up to 5 open house signs per event | — | §164-35.C(3)(b) |
| Directional Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On property | — | §164-35.C(3)(c) |
| Accessory Sign | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | One per sign/entrance | On sign for which permit has been issued | — | §164-35.C(3)(d) |
| Temporary Sign - Contractor | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per contractor | On property under construction | — | §164-35.C(3)(h) |
| Home Occupation Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per occupation | For customary self-employed or home occupation | — | §164-35.D |
| Church, School, Municipal & Ladder Signs for Owner Groups | — | — | — | — | — | On church, school, municipal properties, or for residential owner groups | — | §164-35.C(3)(g) |

### Business districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A-Frame/Sandwich Board Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | At least 2 feet from travelled surface of any road | 1 per business | Per business; must not be fixed to ground; not within 2 feet of travelled way; and not within public road layout without Board approval | — | §164-35.G, §164-35I(8) |
| Banner Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per business | Business districts | — | §164-35.F |
| Ladder Sign | — | Aggregated: see size restrictions | — | See aggregate table in Section 164-35.J(1)(a) | — | Required for all freestanding signs when 3+ businesses on a lot | — | §164-35.H, §164-35.J(1) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | — | Projecting over walkways | — | §164-35.E(1)(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (1-3 ft setback) | 3 ft | 6 sq ft | — | 1-3 ft setback from property line | Max 3 signs per business (see note) | 1-3 ft setback from property line | — | §164-35.J(1)(a)(b)(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (3-10 ft setback) | 6 ft | 15 sq ft | — | 3-10 ft setback from property line | Max 3 signs per business | 3-10 ft setback from property line | — | §164-35.J(1)(a)(b)(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (10-25 ft setback) | 10 ft | 32 sq ft | — | 10-25 ft setback from property line | Max 3 signs per business | 10-25 ft setback from property line | — | §164-35.J(1)(a)(b)(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (Over 25 ft setback) | 12 ft | 60 sq ft | — | Over 25 ft setback from property line | Max 3 signs per business | Over 25 ft setback from property line | — | §164-35.J(1)(a)(b)(2) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Window Sign | — | Up to 25% of window area on any one side; may exceed for up to 24 consecutive days two times a year | — | — | No limit | Inside or affixed to window or within 2 feet of window interior | — | §164-35.B (window sign table) |
| Temporary Sign - Event/Yard Sale | — | 6 sq ft | — | Not within 2 feet of travelled way; restricted from public way without approval | Max 5 per event | On or off-premises (with approval for off-premises); not within public way without Board approval; not within 2 feet of road | — | §164-35.C(4), §164-35I(3)(c), §137-4 |
| Legal/Informational/Government Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As required by government | — | §164-35.C(3)(f) |
| Back Lit Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §164-35.B (Back Lit Sign definition), §164-35I(2) |

## Prohibited signs in Orleans Town

- Off-premises signs are prohibited, with limited exceptions for subdivision identification, designated public display areas, and certain temporary events (e.g., yard sales, open houses, special events).
- Any sign which employs intermittent or flashing lights, whirling or similar moving devices, or which emits any loud sounds is prohibited.
- Any internally illuminated sign is prohibited.
- Billboards are prohibited.
- Signs attached to trees or utility poles are prohibited.
- Temporary signs are prohibited except as described in 164-35.C.4 or 164-35.C.3.b.
- Inflatable signs are prohibited.
- Sandwich board or A-frame type signs that exceed six (6) square feet in area are prohibited.
- No sign shall project over any lot line or any way intended for vehicular traffic.
- No sign affixed to any building shall project more than four (4) feet beyond the building's exterior walls.
- No business shall have more than three (3) signs other than accessory signs not requiring permits. No residence shall have more than one (1) sign.

## Signs exempt from permit in Orleans Town

- One (1) permanent sign not to exceed four (4) square feet in area identifying the principal occupant of a dwelling in a residential or other zone may be erected without a permit.
- One (1) temporary sign not to exceed six (6) square feet in area advertising property for sale, rent, or lease, or up to five (5) open house signs, may be erected without a permit; such sign(s) must be removed within ten (10) days of transfer of title or signing of lease/rental agreement.
- Permanent signs not exceeding four (4) square feet in area solely for direction of traffic (such as 'Enter', 'Exit', 'Parking' and the like, with no advertising information) may be erected without a permit.
- Accessory signs such as 'Open', 'Closed', 'Sale', and the like, not exceeding three (3) square feet in area and attached to permitted signs, may be erected without a permit. One (1) flag of a similar nature per street-facing side, up to six (6) square feet, is allowed.
- Signs within the confining walls of a building or window signs require no permit.
- Legal notices or informational signs erected or required by government bodies are exempt from permits.
- Church, school, municipal, historical, and ladder-type signs for residential property owners' group listings are exempt from permits.
- One (1) contractor sign for a contractor working on property not to exceed four (4) square feet is allowed without a permit; must be removed upon completion of services or within one year, whichever is sooner.
- Window signs, both temporary and permanent, are exempt from permit and fee requirements, as long as they do not obscure more than 25% of the window area (with an allowance for temporary window signs exceeding this amount for up to 24 consecutive days, twice yearly). They are not counted toward sign totals.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All applications for sign permits must include a sketch or photo of the proposed sign (showing size, colors, materials), and a site plan showing height, proposed location of the sign, locations of buildings, driveways, street lines, pavement edges, and nearby trees/shrubbery that might interfere with traffic visibility.
- All signs, except temporary signs, are subject to review and approval by the Architectural Review Committee per Section 164-33.1.C.
- All signs for which permits are required are subject to inspection to check conformance to the site plan and bylaw restrictions. Requests for inspection must be made to the Building Commissioner within ten (10) days of erection.

## Full detail

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

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