# Sign Regulations in Newmarket, New Hampshire

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Newmarket, New Hampshire (NH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-hampshire/newmarket
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/NH/Newmarket/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH32ZO_ARTIVSI)

## At a glance

Newmarket, New Hampshire regulates 8 sign types across 10 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at See specific zone regulations tall and See specific zone regulations, with a Minimum five feet from property boundary. setback (Sec. Sec. 32-121, Sec. 32-124(1)a,b). Most commercial signs in Newmarket require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (10 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | Less than 3 feet | 8 sq ft | — |
| B-1 | 4 | 12 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| B-2 | 3 | 12 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| B-3 | 2 | 8 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| M-1 | 4 | 12 ft | 16 sq ft | — |
| M-2, M-2A | 6 | 12 ft | 16 sq ft | — |
| M-3 | 2 | 8 ft | 16 sq ft | — |
| M-4 | 2 | 12 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| R-1 | 2 | 8 ft | 12 sq ft | — |
| R-2, R-3, R-4 | 2 | 8 ft | 8 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 10 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | See specific zone regulations | See specific zone regulations | — | Minimum five feet from property boundary. | One per lot. | — | — | Sec. 32-121, Sec. 32-124(1)a,b |
| Wall Sign | Not to extend above top of wall to which attached. | 3% of area of wall (or 5% with SUP) | — | — | One per lot, or one per business on multi-business lot, or one facing each street for lots on multiple streets. | Primary building wall (see below for alternatives in residential zones). | — | Sec. 32-121, Sec. 32-124(2) |
| Projecting Sign | No part to extend above top of wall to which sign is attached. | 8 sq ft | — | — | See freestanding sign limit (substitution only, not in addition). | Projecting from business wall over sidewalk only. | — | Sec. 32-124(1)c |
| Sandwich Board Sign | Less than 3 feet | — | Less than 2 feet | — | — | On sidewalk only; only allowed while business is open. | — | Sec. 32-123(l) |

### B-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 12 ft | 32 sq ft | — | 5 feet from property boundary | 1 per lot | — | — | Sec. 32-124(1)b, Sec. 32-123(a)(2) |
| Projecting Sign (Substitute for Freestanding) | Not above top of wall | 8 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot (substitution) | Projecting from wall | — | Sec. 32-124(1)c |
| Wall Sign | Not above top of wall | 3% (5% with SUP) of wall area | — | — | See general wall sign limits | Primary building wall | — | Sec. 32-124(2) |
| Neon/LED-style Window Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 neon/LED style sign per business | Window | — | Sec. 32-123(b) |

### M-2, M-2A

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 12 ft | 16 sq ft | — | 5 feet from property boundary | 1 per lot | — | — | Sec. 32-124(1)b |
| Wall Sign | Not above top of wall | 3% (5% with SUP) | — | — | See general wall sign limits | Primary building wall | — | Sec. 32-124(2) |
| Projecting Sign (Substitute for Freestanding) | Not above top of wall | 8 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot (substitution) | Projecting from wall | — | Sec. 32-124(1)c |
| Sandwich Board Sign | Less than 3 feet | — | Less than 2 feet | — | — | On sidewalk only | — | Sec. 32-123(l) |
| Neon/LED-style Window Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 neon/LED style sign per business | Window | — | Sec. 32-123(b) |
| Awning with Message | — | — | — | — | — | On awning | — | Sec. 32-121(1)o |

## Prohibited signs in Newmarket

- Off-site commercial signs shall be prohibited.
- Moving signs, or signs which give the appearance of motion, shall be prohibited.
- Flashing, blinking, alternating type electronic message centers, or digital type lighting shall be prohibited.
- Except for the sign face of a permitted, internally illuminated sign, the use of plastic shall be prohibited on the exterior of signs and their supporting structures. Other forms of plastic are not allowed except High Density Urethane (HDU) signs giving the appearance of wood.
- Signs shall not project over a public street.
- Signs shall not be placed in such a position as to endanger vehicular, bicycle or pedestrian traffic by obstructing a clear view, by causing confusion with governmental signs and signals, or by any other means.
- Movable signs shall be prohibited.
- No vehicle, including parts thereof, trailers, and other accessories, shall be used as a means of circumventing the purpose and intent of this Ordinance.
- Signs, other than neon signs where permitted, in which light sources create the message shall be prohibited.
- Feather flags, and pennants, as permanent fixtures, are not permitted in any zone.
- Message boards (whether digital, electronic, manual and/or with interchangeable letters) are not permitted in any zone.
- No sign shall be permitted within any platted right-of-way, except as otherwise provided herein.

## Signs exempt from permit in Newmarket

- Sign with a message area of one square foot or less, bearing only property numbers, post office box numbers, names of occupants, non-commercial identification, or simple messages like "open", "closed", etc.
- Directional sign with no commercial message indicating entrance/exit to a site, with a message area of two square feet or less.
- Legal notice such as "no trespassing" signs, with a message area of two square feet or less.
- Business name and/or directional sign over doorways with a message area of three square feet or less.
- Government or religious flags.
- Window sign, unless it is a neon-style/LED sign per section 32-123(b).
- Sign identifying lawn, garage, or barn sales (up to six square feet) displayed not more than one day prior to the event and removed not more than one day after, provided such sales do not occur more than four days per calendar year.
- Sign for a government election, with time limits per state law or, if none, not more than 45 days before and ten days after (or ten days after the final election for primary winners).
- Real estate sign for sale or lease of property on which sign is located, within permitted area; temporary and in addition to other signs. Off-site real estate signs limited to directional signs (max two square feet) for properties for sale/open houses.
- Promotional sign for public or institutional events, as authorized by the town council.
- Directional sign to help locate facilities for persons with disabilities (max two square feet) required for ADA compliance.
- Announcement board (up to 12 square feet) on property of the town, school, public service organization, or religious institution.
- For construction in progress, one or more signs per lot up to 24 square feet identifying owner, architect, contractors, and/or developer, to be removed within one month of project completion.
- Sign for fraternal or social clubs, local service agencies and philanthropic organizations identifying meeting times/locations, with message area three square feet or less.
- Awnings with messages as permitted in section 32-46(c)(4) in the M-2 and M-2A district (awnings shall not be translucent).
- One subdivision identification sign (up to 12 square feet and six feet in height) at subdivision entrance, outside of right-of-way and approved by Planning Board.
- No permit required for normal maintenance, including repainting and other surface renewal.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All new signs or modifications to signs require a permit from the code enforcement officer, unless exempt.
- A written application and a $50.00 fee are required, with sufficient information and drawings for compliance review.
- A Special Use Permit approved by the Planning Board is required to allow a wall sign message area exceeding three percent (up to five percent) of the wall area.
- Subdivision identification signs must be approved by the Planning Board.

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

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