# Sign Regulations in Manchester, New Hampshire

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Manchester, New Hampshire (NH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-hampshire/manchester
- **Data last verified:** 2025-11-20
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://www.manchesternh.gov/pcd/Regulations/ZoningOrdinance.pdf#page=120)

## At a glance

Manchester, New Hampshire regulates 23 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Neighborhood Business District (B-1), Civic-Institutional District (C-1), Civic-Hospital District (C-2), Research Park District (RP) zoning district are capped at 12 feet tall and 40 square feet, with a 5 feet from front lot line; not interfere with sight distances from driveways; not within 150 feet of another freestanding sign on same or adjacent lot setback (Sec. 9.09 A1, Table 9.09D). Most commercial signs in Manchester require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 16 | 50 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Residential Districts (RS, R-1A, R-1B, R-2, R-SM, R-3) | 3 | 8 feet | 20 square feet | — |
| Neighborhood Business District (B-1), Civic-Institutional District (C-1), Civic-Hospital District (C-2), Research Park District (RP) | 5 | 12 feet | 80 square feet | — |
| General Business District (B-2) | 5 | 40 feet | 500 square feet | — |
| Central Business District (CBD) | 4 | — | 500 square feet | — |
| Redevelopment District (RDV), General Industrial/Industrial Park (IND) | 5 | 12 feet | 500 square feet | — |
| Amoskeag Millyard Mixed Use District (AMX) | 5 | 20 feet | 500 square feet | — |
| Arena Overlay District | 5 | — | 100 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | Unlimited | residential property | — | 9.03 A1 |
| Mailbox or Newspaper Tube Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | 1 per mailbox or tube | on mailboxes or newspaper tubes | — | 9.03 A2 |
| Private Parking or Warning Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | As needed | on private property | — | 9.03 A3 |
| Governmental Flag | 50 feet | — | — | — | As appropriate | from pole | — | 9.03 D |
| Incidental Traffic Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | As needed | on private property | — | 9.03 E |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 4 square feet in residential districts or 32 square feet in non-residential districts | — | — | 1 per lot | on lot for sale/lease/rent | — | 9.03 F |
| Construction Site Identification Sign | — | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per site | on construction site | — | 9.03 G |
| Political Campaign Sign | — | As permitted for other signs in the zoning district | — | — | As per RSA | anywhere allowed | — | 9.03 H |

### Neighborhood Business District (B-1), Civic-Institutional District (C-1), Civic-Hospital District (C-2), Research Park District (RP)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 12 feet | 40 square feet | — | 5 feet from front lot line; not interfere with sight distances from driveways; not within 150 feet of another freestanding sign on same or adjacent lot | 1 per lot (up to 2 if qualifying) | on lot | — | 9.09 A1, Table 9.09D |
| Wall Sign | — | 80 square feet | — | — | Maximum 3 per sign frontage | on building wall | — | 9.09 A2, Table 9.09D |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | upper or lower floors with no sign frontage | — | 9.09 A3 |
| Building Sign (Entry Door) | — | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per entry | ground floor entry door to upper/lower floor use | — | 9.09 A3 |
| Portable Sign | — | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 at a time | on lot | — | 9.09 A4 |

### General Business District (B-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 40 feet | 200 square feet | — | 5 feet from front lot line; not interfere with sight distances from driveways; not within 150 feet of another freestanding sign on same or adjacent lot | 1 per lot (up to 2 if qualifying) | on lot | — | 9.09 A1, Table 9.09D |
| Wall Sign | — | 500 square feet | — | — | Maximum 3 per sign frontage | on building wall | — | 9.09 A2, Table 9.09D |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | upper or lower floors with no sign frontage | — | 9.09 A3 |
| Building Sign (Entry Door) | — | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per entry | ground floor entry door to upper/lower floor use | — | 9.09 A3 |
| Portable Sign | — | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 at a time | on lot | — | 9.09 A4 |

## Prohibited signs in Manchester

- Beacons, or any light with one or more beams directed into the atmosphere or one or more points not on the same lot as the light source
- Pennants, inflated signs, and tethered balloons
- On corner lots, signs which obscure the vision of drivers and create a potential safety hazard within the triangular area formed by the intersection of curb lines and a straight line joining said curb lines at points thirty (30) feet from the point of intersection
- Signs, other than signs erected by or on behalf of a governmental body, that are located in, or on a public right-of-way or on public lands
- Electronic message board signs or flashing signs that have changing print or displays with less than a 5-second duration and/or by reason of its location, shape or color would interfere with the view or effectiveness of any official traffic control device
- Projecting signs that are lower than ten (10) feet above grade, larger than eight (8) feet in height, and project more than six (6) feet from the building
- Signs attached to a tree, utility pole, fence, or rock
- Signs, other than traffic control signs, that use the words “stop”, “yield”, “caution”, and “danger”, or that contain red, amber, and green lights that may resemble traffic control lights
- Signs on the building blocking windows

## Signs exempt from permit in Manchester

- Signs not exceeding two (2) square feet in area that are customarily associated with residential use and that are not of a commercial nature, including nameplate signs, signs on mailboxes or newspaper tubes, and signs posted on private property relating to private parking or warning the public against trespassing or danger from animals
- Signs erected by or on behalf of or pursuant to the authorization of a governmental body, including legal notices, identification and informational signs, and traffic, directional, or regulatory signs
- Official signs of a non-commercial nature erected by public utilities
- Flags of any governmental organization when not displayed in connection with a commercial promotion or as an advertising device (no flag shall be flown from a pole that is more than fifty (50) feet in height)
- Incidental signs directing and guiding traffic on private property which do not exceed four (4) square feet each and that bear no advertising matter
- One sign per lot containing the message that the real estate on which the sign is located (including buildings) is for sale, lease, or rent, together with information identifying the owner or agent (not illuminated, not exceeding four (4) square feet in residential districts or thirty-two (32) square feet in non-residential districts, removed immediately after sale, lease, or rental)
- Construction site identification signs (not illuminated, not more than one per site, not exceeding thirty-two (32) square feet, erected after building permit and removed within thirty (30) days after Certificate of Occupancy)
- Signs erected in connection with elections or political campaigns pursuant to RSA 664:14-21 (not exceeding the sign area permitted for other signs within the zoning district)
- Signs indicating that a special event such as a grand opening, fair, carnival, circus, festival, or similar event is to take place on the lot where the sign is located (erected not sooner than two (2) weeks before the event and removed not later than three (3) days after the event)
- Banners, building marker signs, and historic marker signs that do not exceed four (4) square feet in area
- Signs that are located on, or are an integral part of, a property that has been placed on or determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, provided that such signs are recognized as contributing to the National Register status of the property
- Signs that are temporary in nature and not covered in the foregoing categories, provided that not more than one such sign per lot, no such sign exceeds four (4) square feet, and such a sign is not displayed for longer than seven (7) consecutive days nor more than fourteen (14) days out of any one (1) year period

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No permit shall be issued until a Master Sign Inventory is filed with the City of Manchester for the parcel on which a permit is being sought
- If required for development of the parcel, approval pursuant to the Site Plan Review Regulations must be received from the Planning Board prior to issuance of a sign permit
- No permit shall be issued for an individual sign requiring a permit unless and until a sign inventory (Master Sign Inventory) is submitted for the site on which the proposed sign will be erected
- Where the sign inventory demonstrates that the total existing sign area on a lot exceeds the sign area standards, no new signs shall be erected unless in compliance with the Ordinance

## 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 8 zoning districts in Manchester — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Manchester+NH&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-manchester

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-hampshire/manchester