# Sign Regulations in Belleville Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Belleville Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/belleville-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/36453990#36453990)

## At a glance

Belleville Township, New Jersey regulates 25 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Monument Signs in the BB-2 Zone zoning district are capped at 5 ft tall and 75 sq ft per side, with a 18 ft from street line setback (Sec. § 23-17.5(k)(1)).

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| BB-2 Zone | 1 | 5 ft | 75 sq ft per side | — |
| BB-2 Zone, Commercial Zones, Non-residential or Mixed Use Zones, Non-R Zone | 7 | — | 25 sq ft | — |
| Residential Multi-family Buildings | 1 | — | 20 sq ft | — |
| Non-residential or Mixed Use Zones | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 15 | 15 ft (measured from grade) | 50 sq ft per sign | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### BB-2 Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign | 5 ft | 75 sq ft per side | — | 18 ft from street line | 1 per premises | No closer than 18 ft to a street line, freestanding | — | § 23-17.5(k)(1) |

### BB-2 Zone, Commercial Zones, Non-residential or Mixed Use Zones, Non-R Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Exterior, per street frontage | — | § 23-17.5(b) |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | 2 total allowed from commercial facade category | Applied to the window, visible from outside | — | § 23-17.5(b)(1), (r) |
| Blade Sign | — | 6 sq ft per side | — | — | 2 total allowed from commercial facade category | Mounted perpendicular to the façade | — | § 23-17.5(b)(2) |
| Neon Sign (Building or Window) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 2 total allowed from commercial facade category | — | — | § 23-17.5(b)(3) |
| Awning Sign | — | 25 sq ft | — | — | 2 total allowed from commercial facade category | On awning above storefront | — | § 23-17.5(b)(4), (g)(2)-(g)(4) |
| Portable Sandwich Sign | — | 6 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per premises | — | — | § 23-17.5(o) |
| Real Estate Sign (Commercial) | — | 12 sq ft per property | — | — | 1 per premises | Displayed in window, or mounted to building, wall, or freestanding | — | § 23-17.5(p) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (Garage Sale) | — | 2 sq ft (1 ft x 2 ft) | — | — | 20 per event | — | — | § 4-15.6 |
| Parking Facility Identification Sign | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | 1 per entrance (entry identification); 1 per entrance (rates) | Freestanding or attached within 10 ft of parking entrance | — | § 23-17.5(e) |
| Office, Research, Industrial Signs | — | 50 sq ft per sign | — | — | Max 1 per street frontage per use | On structure (wall signs) and 1 monument sign around building base | — | § 23-17.5(d) |
| Monument Sign (Office, Research, Industrial) | — | 50 sq ft | — | — | 1 monument sign per building | Around the base of the building | — | § 23-17.5(d) |
| Hotel Sign (Top of Building Facade) | — | 50 sq ft | — | — | 1 per hotel | Top of uppermost story on building facade | — | § 23-17.5(f) |
| Civic, Directory, Fraternal, Social Organization Sign | — | 12 sq ft per property | — | — | 1 per premises | — | — | § 23-17.5(h) |
| Contractor Sign | — | 16 sq ft per property | — | 5 ft from lot line | 1 per premises | No closer than 5 ft from any lot line | — | § 23-17.5(i) |
| Free Standing Pylon Sign (Gas Stations and Shopping Centers) | 15 ft (measured from grade) | 50 sq ft | — | — | 1 per gas station/shopping center | — | — | § 23-17.5(s) |

## Prohibited signs in Belleville Township

- All signs not specifically listed as permitted signs are prohibited.
- Advertising signs.
- Flashing or moving signs, and signs and lighting giving the illusion of movement, excluding time-and-temperature signs.
- Banners, except as permitted within a Township approved decorative streetscape program.
- Internally illuminated box signs and internally illuminated channel letters, except that channel letters up to 16 inches in height that are illuminated with a diffused light source shall be permitted.
- Moon tubing.
- Neon framing, paper or fabric framing, tubing and bare-bulb illumination. This does not include neon wall-mounted signs containing the name of the business and/or the business logo.
- Signs erected upon a roof.
- Pennants and banners, except as permitted within a Township approved decorative streetscape program.
- Any sign in the public right-of-way, except for conforming blade signs and awnings.
- Any sign using exposed light-emitting diodes (LEDs), other than price signs associated with gasoline service stations.
- Any electronic display signs, as a monument, on a building or structure.
- Signs affixed to trees, fences or utility poles.
- Signs that are an imitation of an official traffic sign or signal or contains the words 'stop,' 'go slow,' 'caution,' 'danger,' 'warning,' or similar words.
- Use of flood lights for illumination of signs where such floodlights create interference with motor vehicle traffic visibility.
- Signs that contain or consist of posters, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners, balloons, kites or other similarly moving devices.
- Signs containing more than two display faces.
- A sign on a motor vehicle, trailer, whether or not operational and whether or not self-propelled which is used or parked or designated to be parked for advertising purposes.
- Signs affixed to the building above the first floor except where specifically permitted.
- Free Standing Pylon Signs, except for use in gas stations and retail shopping centers.
- Signs containing profanity.
- No sign shall be located in the Clear Sight-Triangle.
- Signs shall not extend above the height of the vertical wall to which they are attached.
- Signs shall not be attached to a cornice nor shall they interfere with facade composition of a building or cause the decorative detail of the facade to be removed or covered.
- Signs may not be internally illuminated unless specifically permitted.
- Sign illumination or other illumination may not be used or designed for use as an attraction device in itself, including light bulbs, strobe lights, black lights, string lights, flashing or moving lights of any kind, and similar uses of illumination as attraction devices.
- Non-conforming signs or sign structures not maintained or not utilized for a period of 60 days shall be considered abandoned and shall be removed from the premises.
- Windows shall not be blocked by any paper or posters or other sign material.

## Signs exempt from permit in Belleville Township

- Any legally erected sign or sign structure which is non-conforming at the time of enactment of this chapter may be continued in use, maintained or structurally improved, but not enlarged, subject to all provisions of the chapter.
- Ghost signs (fading ads or ads greater than 20 years old painted on buildings) may be permitted and encouraged to remain, may be restored, and shall not count toward the permitted sign area of a building.
- Vintage signage of an iconic shop, store or business of Belleville shall be permitted to remain and be refurbished and shall not be counted toward permitted sign area for the proposed use.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Any change in principal occupant, use or tenant triggering a new sign or sign face will require the sign to be updated or relocated to conform to the sign standards contained within this Chapter. If variances from the sign standards are sought, they shall be adjudicated by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment.
- Before June 1, 2021: Any change in principal occupant, use or tenant triggering a new sign or sign face may be permitted to maintain the existing sign and/or location with review and approval from the Site Plan Subcommittee.

## 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 5 zoning districts in Belleville Township — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Belleville+Township+NJ&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-belleville-township

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