# Sign Regulations in Berkeley Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Berkeley Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/berkeley-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/35650513#35650513)

## At a glance

Berkeley Township, New Jersey regulates 37 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Development Identification Sign (Freestanding)s in the Residential Zones (Outside of the Pinelands Forest and Pinelands Preservation Areas) zoning district are capped at 4 ft tall and 20 sq ft per sign face (up to 2 signs, more allowed based on access/frontage) (Sec. §35-91.8(f)(2)). Most commercial signs in Berkeley Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | 4 ft | 16 sq ft (4 ft x 4 ft) | — |
| Residential Zones (Outside of the Pinelands Forest and Pinelands Preservation Areas) | 10 | 4 ft | 20 sq ft | — |
| Highway Business Zones, Highway Business (HB) Zone, Rural Highway Business (RHB) Zone | 4 | 25 ft | 100 sq ft | — |
| Neighborhood Business Zones | 3 | 15 ft | 35 sq ft | — |
| Industrial Zones | 3 | 35 ft | 250 sq ft | — |
| Pinelands Area | 3 | 15 ft (to top of sign from street centerline), max 30 ft above ground level at sign | 32 sq ft | — |
| PA Zone, M/CF Zone, AP (Agriculture Production) Zone | 8 | 15 ft | 20 sq ft per side | — |
| FA-C Zone, RDR Zone, FAR-5 Zone, FAR-30 Zone, FAR-30C Zone | 8 | 15 ft | 36 sq ft per side | — |
| FA-HC Zone | 1 | — | — | — |
| FA-LI Zone | 1 | — | — | — |
| RDA Zone, RGR Zone | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 11 zones)

### Residential Zones (Outside of the Pinelands Forest and Pinelands Preservation Areas)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Address Sign | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | — | On property | — | §35-91.8(a) |
| Home Occupation or Professional Office Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | On property | — | §35-91.8(b) |
| Institutional Sign | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | — | Church, utility, hospital, public building, institution, or permitted use | — | §35-91.8(c) |
| Motel/Efficiency Apartment/Multiple Dwelling Identification Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | — | Where applicable | — | §35-91.8(d) |
| Boatyard/Marina Identification Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | — | Where applicable | — | §35-91.8(e) |
| Development Identification Sign (Freestanding) | 4 ft | 20 sq ft per sign face (up to 2 signs, more allowed based on access/frontage) | — | — | 2 (+1 per additional access point/street frontage) | At access points/frontages of developments | — | §35-91.8(f)(2) |
| Multiple Family Dwelling Wall Identification Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On wall | — | §35-91.8(g) |
| Multiple Family Dwelling Ground Identification Sign | 4 ft | 10 sq ft per sign face | — | — | 1 | Ground mounted | — | §35-91.8(g) |

### PA Zone, M/CF Zone, AP (Agriculture Production) Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Official Public Safety/Information Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §35-91.15(b)(1) |
| On-site Sale/Rental Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On-premises | — | §35-91.15(b)(2) |
| On-site Identification Sign (Schools/Public/Institutions) | 15 ft | 20 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 (+1 per 1,000' frontage over 2,000') | — | — | §35-91.15(b)(3) |
| Trespassing/Private Road/Hunting/Fishing Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §35-91.15(b)(4) |
| Professional/Home Occupation/Name Sign | — | 4 sq ft (up to 2 sq ft for home occupation) | — | — | 1 | On dwelling | — | §35-91.15(b)(5) |
| Business/Advertising Signs (On-site) | 15 ft | 20 sq ft per side (total) | — | — | 2 | On premises or property leased to a business | — | §35-91.15(b)(6) |
| Temporary Political Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §35-91.15(b)(7) |
| Temporary Civil/Social/Political Gathering Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On- and off-site | — | §35-91.15(b)(8) |

### FA-C Zone, RDR Zone, FAR-5 Zone, FAR-30 Zone, FAR-30C Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Official Public Safety/Information Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §35-91.16(b)(1) |
| On-site Sale/Rental Sign | — | 12 sq ft (per side) | — | — | 1 | On premises | — | §35-91.16(b)(2) |
| On-site Identification Sign (Schools/Public/Institutions) | 15 ft | 36 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 (+1 per 750' frontage over 1,500') | — | — | §35-91.16(b)(3) |
| Trespassing/Private Road/Hunting/Fishing Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §35-91.16(b)(4) |
| Professional/Home Occupation/Name Sign | — | 4 sq ft (up to 2 sq ft for home occupation) | — | — | 1 | — | — | §35-91.16(b)(5) |
| Business/Advertising Signs (On-site) | 15 ft | 32 sq ft per side | — | — | 2 | On premises or leased to business | — | §35-91.16(b)(6) |
| Temporary Political Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §35-91.16(b)(7) |
| Temporary Civil/Social/Political Gathering Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On- and off-site | — | §35-91.16(b)(8) |

## Prohibited signs in Berkeley Township

- Portable signs or sandwich signs are prohibited in all zones.
- Signs or banners posted or hung on buildings, fences, posts, utility poles or trees are prohibited.
- Signs posted on municipal property without the consent of the Mayor are prohibited.
- Signs posted or painted atop of a roof are prohibited.
- Signs painted on a wall or side of a building are prohibited.
- Signs standing, installed or painted on sidewalks or curbs are prohibited.
- Vehicle signs (signs painted, placed or incorporated into trucks, motor vehicles, trailers and similar equipment bearing advertising visible from off-site and parked at a business location for the intended purpose of advertising a business, service or product) are prohibited, except delivery/service vehicles used daily and parked with least visual impact.
- Signs which imitate official traffic signs or signals, or which employ fluorescent colors in the yellow or red spectrum, or constitute a distraction hazard to the traveling public are prohibited; with limited exemptions for entities such as the Township, emergency services, veterans' organizations, the school district, and certain non-profits.
- Electronic message boards are generally prohibited except as part of an approved digital display sign or for exempt entities as noted.
- Signs of any size or type of construction designed with wire, wood or other supports to be pushed into the ground on a temporary basis ('lawn signs') are prohibited, except as allowed per specific exemptions or section 35-91.5.
- Portable message signs of any size or design, whether electronic or manual, are prohibited.
- Signs which offend public morals or decency are prohibited.
- Commercial advertising billboard signs are prohibited, except as otherwise provided.
- The further erection or construction of commercial advertising billboard signs is prohibited except as specifically allowed in limited circumstances.

## Signs exempt from permit in Berkeley Township

- Delivery and service vehicles or trailers used on a daily basis in conjunction with an on-site business are exempt from the vehicle sign prohibition when parked in a location not visible from off-site or arranged to create the least possible visual impact without affecting security.
- Electronic message boards for facilities owned and operated for use by the Township of Berkeley, emergency service entities, veterans' service organizations, the Berkeley Township School District or the Central Regional School District and other nonprofit entities are exempt from the electronic message board prohibition, provided they comply with 35-91.20 and obtain a sign permit.
- Lawn signs permitted under subsection 35-91.5 (details not provided in excerpt) are exempt from the general prohibition on temporary lawn signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Any and all signs shall comply with the sign regulations of the Township.
- Electronic message boards as part of a digital display sign must be approved as part of a site plan application by the Board of Jurisdiction (see 35-91.3.h and 35-91.20).
- Digital display sign applications shall follow the guidelines established in Subsection 35-91.4 (Permits/Fees), and may require submission to the Zoning Officer for a sign permit.
- Exempt entities proposing electronic message boards must submit to the Zoning Officer for a sign permit in any zone (per 35-91.3.h).

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

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