# Sign Regulations in Upton Town, Massachusetts

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Upton Town, Massachusetts (MA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/massachusetts/upton-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/35603915#35603915)

## At a glance

Upton Town, Massachusetts regulates 14 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Primary Building Sign (Wall or Standing)s in the General Business Districts, Upton Center Business District, Commercial & Industrial Districts zoning district are capped at 10 feet (if standing sign, or maximum sign dimension) tall, 20 square feet, and 10 feet (if standing sign) wide, with a Standing sign subject to Art 4 setback setback (Sec. §300-5.12G(1)(a)-(b), §300-5.12E, §300-5.12H). Most commercial signs in Upton Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | 4 feet above ground level | 5 square feet | — |
| Single Residential SRA District, Single Residential SRB District, Single Residential SRC District, Single Residential SRD District, AR District | 7 | 7 feet if standing sign, otherwise as attached. | 20 square feet | — |
| General Business Districts, Upton Center Business District, Commercial & Industrial Districts | 6 | 10 feet (if standing sign, or maximum sign dimension) | 50% of primary sign area or 4 sq ft (whichever greater) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Political Sign | 4 feet above ground level | 5 square feet | — | — | — | Private property only. Not on public property, utility poles, or trees. | — | §229-2 |

### Single Residential SRA District, Single Residential SRB District, Single Residential SRC District, Single Residential SRD District, AR District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Home Occupation or Business Sign | 5 feet above ground level | 4 square feet | — | 20 feet from side and rear property lines | 1 per dwelling unit or lot | One sign per dwelling unit or lot | — | §300-5.12F(1), §300-5.12E(2) |
| For Sale or Lease Sign (On-Site, Temporary) | 5 feet above ground level | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per dwelling unit | On-site | — | §300-5.12F(2), §300-5.12E(2) |
| For Sale or Lease Directional Sign (Off-Site, Temporary) | — | 3 square feet | — | — | 2 | Off-site | — | §300-5.12F(3), §300-5.12E(2) |
| Construction Participant Sign (Temporary) | 5 feet above ground level | 8 square feet | — | — | 1 per dwelling unit | Per dwelling unit | — | §300-5.12F(4), §300-5.12E(2) |
| Residential Subdivision Entrance Sign | 5 feet above ground level | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 per entrance | At each entrance to a subdivision | — | §300-5.12F(5), §300-5.12E(2) |
| Residential Subdivision Sales Sign (On-Site) | 5 feet above ground level | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 | On-site subdivision advertising sale or lease of lots | — | §300-5.12F(6), §300-5.12E(2) |
| Religious/Educational Organization Sign (Entrance) | 7 feet if standing sign, otherwise as attached. | 20 square feet | — | — | Up to 3 | At each public entrance up to 3 per lot | — | §300-5.12F(7), §300-5.12E(2) |

### General Business Districts, Upton Center Business District, Commercial & Industrial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Primary Building Sign (Wall or Standing) | 10 feet (if standing sign, or maximum sign dimension) | 20 square feet | 10 feet (if standing sign) | Standing sign subject to Art 4 setback | 1 per building tenant | Either affixed to wall or standing sign on premises | — | §300-5.12G(1)(a)-(b), §300-5.12E, §300-5.12H |
| Secondary Building Sign (Wall) | — | 50% of primary sign area or 4 sq ft (whichever greater) | — | — | 1 per building tenant with more than 1 entrance | Affixed to building (must be more than one public entrance) | — | §300-5.12G(2), §300-5.12E, §300-5.12H |
| Tenant Directory Sign (Wall or Standing) | — | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 per building | Affixed or standing sign (standing only if no other standing sign at building) | — | §300-5.12G(3), §300-5.12E, §300-5.12H |
| Interior Window Sign (Illuminated or not) | — | 3 square feet | — | — | 1 per tenant | Interior window, visible from exterior | — | §300-5.12G(4), §300-5.12E(3) |
| Gasoline Pump/Price Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On gasoline pumps | — | §300-5.12G(5) |
| Any sign allowed in Residential/AR Districts | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §300-5.12G(6) |

## Prohibited signs in Upton Town

- No sign may be erected at or near a street intersection or street and driveway intersection in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision.
- No sign may be erected at any location where the sign may interfere with any traffic sign, signal or device due to obstruction, confusion or any other applicable interference.
- No sign constructed of permanent paper, cardboard, cloth, canvas, plastic or other similar nonrigid material that is tacked, posted or otherwise affixed to a utility pole, tree, rock, hydrant, bridge, fence or other similar surface.
- No sign may be affixed in any way above a building roof, including signs affixed to a cupola, tower, chimney or other structure located on or above the roofline.
- No sign may contain any part that moves, flashes or is in any way animated, including moving lights, rotating beacons, pennants, ribbons, streaming signs and animated signs intended to create the illusion of movement.
- Billboards are prohibited (except for noncommercial billboard signs on Town property). Billboards include any sign advertising or promoting material not sold, manufactured or distributed from the premises on which the sign is located.
- Signs illuminated in a manner that results in excessive glare as determined by the Building Commissioner are prohibited.
- Signs that incorporate tube-type gaseous elements, neon elements, strings of light bulbs, or upward-directed spotlights are prohibited except for one nonflashing interior neon window sign less than three square feet indicating the establishment is open.
- No illuminated signs are permitted in the Residential SRA, SRB, SRC, SRD and AR Districts.
- Signs may be illuminated only for 30 minutes before opening or after closing of a commercial establishment.
- No sign and its associated structural elements pertaining to anything that ceases to be applicable, whether on, near or adjacent to the particular premises, shall remain longer than 30 days.
- No unauthorized sign is permitted on Town property.

## Signs exempt from permit in Upton Town

- Political signs are exempt from the general sign bylaw (Chapter 300-5.12) and subject instead to regulations in Chapter 229, Article I.
- Legally erected nonconforming signs existing prior to the adoption of the bylaw are allowed to remain, provided they are not enlarged, reworded, redesigned, or altered in any way unless brought into conformity.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No permanent sign greater than two square feet shall be erected until an application, together with a scale drawing, colored rendering of the sign and other information as required, is submitted to the Building Commissioner and a building permit has been issued.
- Approval from the Planning Board is required for development signs, decorative monuments, gatehouses, or other visual displays within 25 feet of a public right-of-way, and such signs must be shown on the plan during application review.
- A special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals is required for signs that incorporate internal light or rear-illuminated light sources, and for larger signs up to twice the allowable size.

## Full detail

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

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