# Sign Regulations in Southbridge Town, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Southbridge Town, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/southbridge-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/42278518#42278518)

## At a glance

Southbridge Town, Massachusetts regulates 20 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Premises < 3 acres)s in the Retail Business Districts (RB), General Business Districts (GB), Central Core District (CC), Business Districts (GB, RB, CC) zoning district are capped at 20 ft tall and 48 sq ft (Sec. 8.9.3[C][2]). Most commercial signs in Southbridge Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residence 1 Districts (R1), Residence 2 Districts (R2), Residence 3 Districts (R3), Residential Districts (R1, R2, R3) | 4 | — | 16 sq ft | — |
| Retail Business Districts (RB), General Business Districts (GB), Central Core District (CC), Business Districts (GB, RB, CC) | 5 | 20 ft | For mall style shopping centers: aggregate max 450 sq ft | — |
| Office Research Districts (OR), Manufacturing Districts (M), Office Research and Manufacturing Districts (OR, M) | 2 | 20 ft | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 10 | — | 100 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Residence 1 Districts (R1), Residence 2 Districts (R2), Residence 3 Districts (R3), Residential Districts (R1, R2, R3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign (Family/Accessory Use) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per family | On premises | — | 8.9.3[B][1] |
| Building/Structure Use Sign (Other than Dwellings) | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On premises | — | 8.9.3[B][2] |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | 8 sq ft per sign; aggregate not to exceed 18 sq ft | — | — | Not specified | On property to be sold or leased | — | 8.9.3[B][3]; 8.9.3[E][2] |
| Directional Sign (Institutional/Nonprofit Use) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | Not specified | On premises | — | 8.9.3[B][4] |

### Retail Business Districts (RB), General Business Districts (GB), Central Core District (CC), Business Districts (GB, RB, CC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | For mall style shopping centers: aggregate max 450 sq ft | — | — | 1 per side facing a public way | On building wall | — | 8.9.3[C][1], 8.9.3[C][4] |
| Freestanding Sign (Premises < 3 acres) | 20 ft | 48 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On premises | — | 8.9.3[C][2] |
| Freestanding Sign (Premises >= 3 acres) | 20 ft | 64 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On premises | — | 8.9.3[C][2] |
| Nonconforming Building/Use Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On exterior of nonconforming building | — | 8.9.3[C][3] |
| Guideline-Adherent Sign (Central Core) | — | — | — | — | — | Central Core District (CC) | — | 8.9.3[C][5] |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Construction Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per premises | On premises under construction | — | 8.9.3[E][1] |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Non-Residential) | — | 18 sq ft | — | — | — | On property being sold, leased, or rented | — | 8.9.3[E][2] |
| Temporary Event Sign (Business/Industrial Districts) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On private property in business/industrial districts | — | 8.9.3[E][3] |
| Temporary Event Sign (Residential Districts) | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On private property in residential districts | — | 8.9.3[E][3] |
| Political Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On any property | — | 8.9.3[E][4] |
| Banner Sign | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | As allowed by the Town; for nonprofit/charitable/community orgs | — | 8.9.3[E][5] |
| Display Window/Door Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Surface of or inside windows/doors | — | 8.9.3[E][6] |
| Yard/Garage Sale Sign | — | 5 sq ft | — | — | 1 per premise | On private property where sale occurs | — | 8.9.3[E][9] |

## Prohibited signs in Southbridge Town

- No sign or other advertising device with visible moving or movable parts or with flashing, animated, or intermittent illumination shall be erected or maintained except as approved by the Zoning Enforcement Officer.
- No illumination shall be permitted which is visible from any portion of a way so as to create a traffic hazard.
- All signs lighted externally shall be shielded or directed in such a way as to prevent spillage on the building or onto streets, parking, driveway areas, or surrounding properties.
- No freestanding sign or other advertising device, or part thereof, shall be more than twenty (20) feet above ground level.
- No sign or other advertising device attached to a building shall project above the roof or parapet line.
- No sign or other advertising device attached to a building shall project more than three (3) feet from a building or two-thirds the width of the sidewalk, whichever is less.
- No sign shall be erected in any manner that will completely cover windows or doors.
- No signs shall be erected on public property without express written permission from the Town.
- No remote signs (i.e., on a neighboring or other property) shall be erected.
- No permanent sign shall be erected, altered, replaced, or relocated without a permit issued by the Building Inspector.
- No sign shall be allowed unless it is in conformance with the current Massachusetts State Building Code except as specifically permitted.
- No sign heretofore approved and erected shall be repaired, altered or removed, nor shall any sign, or substantial part thereof, which is blown down, destroyed or removed, be re-erected, reconstructed, rebuilt or relocated, unless it is made to comply with all applicable requirements of this By-law.
- Signs which were legally erected before adoption of this By-law shall not be voluntarily rebuilt, altered or relocated without conforming to this By-law.

## Signs exempt from permit in Southbridge Town

- Temporary signs, banners, pennants, easily removed signs attached to windows, or advertising displays are allowed on a temporary basis, may be freestanding, and do not need a permit from the Town (subject to specific limitations).
- Political signs are exempt from regulations except that they are subject to public safety requirements.
- Buildings occupied solely for the civic, philanthropic, educational, religious, or other noncommercial purposes are exempt from regulations except that they are subject to public safety requirements.
- Seasonal decorative signs and residential decorative signs are exempt from regulations except that they are subject to public safety requirements.

## 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 4 zoning districts in Southbridge Town — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Southbridge+Town+MA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-southbridge-town

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/southbridge-town