# Sign Regulations in Bethlehem Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Bethlehem Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/bethlehem-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/8952749#8952749)

## At a glance

Bethlehem Township, New Jersey regulates 29 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Free Expression Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 6 ft (if attached); 3 ft if freestanding tall and 3 sq ft per side (Sec. §102-30Z(5)).

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 18 | 25 ft (residential), 35 ft (nonresidential) | 35 sq ft | — |
| Agricultural Residential (AR), Mountain Residential (MR), Single-Family Residential (R-1 1/2) | 4 | 6 ft | 20 sq ft | — |
| Neighborhood Commercial (NC), Highway Commercial (HC), General Commercial (GC) | 5 | — | 20 sq ft | — |
| Research, Office and Manufacturing (ROM), Manufacturing (MFG) | 4 | 14 ft | 20 sq ft per side (max 2 sides); total 40 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Street Address Sign | — | 2 sq ft (residential), 6 sq ft (nonresidential) | — | — | 1 per parcel/residence/business | Each parcel, residence, or business | — | §102-30Z(1) |
| Free Expression Sign | 6 ft (if attached); 3 ft if freestanding | 3 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per parcel | On each parcel; may be attached or freestanding | — | §102-30Z(5) |
| Election Sign | 3 ft (if freestanding) | 3 sq ft | — | — | 1 per candidate/issue per parcel | Each parcel; may be attached or freestanding | — | §102-30Z(6) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (≤2 acres) | 3 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | See additional requirements | On each parcel/part for sale/lease/rent | — | §102-30Z(11) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (>2 acres) | 4 ft | 15 sq ft | — | — | See additional requirements | On each parcel/part for sale/lease/rent | — | §102-30Z(11) |
| Temporary Garage-Yard Sale Sign | 3 ft | 3 sq ft | — | — | 1 per occasion | Each parcel with lawful residential use | — | §102-30Z(12) |
| Temporary Future Development Sign (<10 lots) | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | New subdivisions | — | §102-30Z(14) |
| Temporary Future Development Sign (≥10 lots) | 6 ft | 35 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | New subdivisions | — | §102-30Z(14) |

### Agricultural Residential (AR), Mountain Residential (MR), Single-Family Residential (R-1 1/2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Subdivision Monument Identification Sign | 6 ft | 20 sq ft | — | — | 2 per entrance | At platted subdivision or neighborhood entrance | — | §102-30AA(1) |
| Monument Sign (Nonresidential Use) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per parcel | Each parcel with a permitted nonresidential use | — | §102-30AA(2) |
| Wall Sign (Nonresidential Use) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per parcel | Each parcel with a permitted nonresidential use | — | §102-30AA(2) |
| Temporary Agricultural Sign | — | — | — | — | 2 per business establishment per lot | Each parcel with permitted agricultural use | — | §102-30AA(3) |

### Neighborhood Commercial (NC), Highway Commercial (HC), General Commercial (GC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Mounted) | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building | Premises with building present | — | §102-30BB(1)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Professional or Office Use) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per professional/office use | Each professional or office use on the premises | — | §102-30BB(1)(b) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 (in lieu of wall sign) | Used in lieu of a wall sign on the wall or building surface | — | §102-30BB(1)(c) |
| Monument Sign (Nonresidential Use) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per parcel | Each parcel with nonresidential permitted use | — | §102-30BB(2) |
| Incidental Sign | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 4 per lot | Attached to freestanding sign structure or building wall, but not perpendicular | — | §102-30BB(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Bethlehem Township

- Billboards are prohibited in all zoning districts.
- Revolving signs are prohibited.
- Flashing signs are prohibited.
- Animated signs are prohibited.
- Wind signs are prohibited.
- Portable signs are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Abandoned and discontinued signs are prohibited.
- Snipe signs (bandit signs) are prohibited.
- Projecting signs are prohibited except as expressly allowed.
- Bus bench advertising signs and bus shelter advertising signs are prohibited.
- Signs that emit smoke, visible vapor, sound, odor, visible particles or gaseous matter are prohibited.
- Signs with unshielded illuminating devices are prohibited.
- Signs that obstruct, conceal, hide or otherwise obscure from view any official traffic or governmental sign, signal or device are prohibited.
- Attached signs, including wall signs, that exceed 30 square feet in sign area are prohibited.
- Freestanding signs higher than 20 feet are prohibited.
- Any sign within a sight visibility triangle that obstructs a clear view of pedestrian or vehicular traffic is prohibited.
- Any sign in the public right-of-way, other than traffic control device signs, warning signs, or safety signs, is prohibited.
- Any sign other than a traffic control device sign that uses the word "stop" or "danger" or imitates official traffic control device signs and is adjacent to a public right-of-way is prohibited.
- Any sign nailed, fastened, or affixed to any tree is prohibited.
- Any sign prohibited by state or federal law is prohibited.
- Vehicle signs exceeding 10 square feet when vehicle is not regularly used in business, parked within 100 feet of a street right-of-way for more than two consecutive hours, are prohibited.
- Any sign located on property without the permission of the property owner is prohibited.
- Beacons are prohibited except as required by law.
- Intermittent signs are prohibited except for time and temperature signs as expressly permitted.
- Sandwich board signs are prohibited.
- Signs that have animated, flashing, and illusionary displays are prohibited.
- Information or direction signs that exceed two square feet in sign area are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Bethlehem Township

- This section does not pertain to a sign, other than a window sign, located entirely inside the premises of a building or enclosed space.
- Signs on cars, other than prohibited vehicle signs, are exempt.
- Statutory signs (required by law) are exempt.
- Traffic control device signs are exempt.
- Signs not visible from a public street, sidewalk, or right-of-way are exempt, except if a sign for a commercial use is visible from an abutting residential use.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Permanent signs (unless exempted) require a sign permit, which involves a review for conformity with zoning and sign regulations.
- The sign permit application must be accompanied by plans and specifications drawn to scale, and any site plan required by the section or code.
- No sign permit will be issued for a prohibited sign.
- Allowed temporary and allowed permanent signs of the type described in Section Z are exempt from sign permitting requirements.
- If a sign permit application is denied, the applicant may appeal to the Board of Adjustment, which shall hold a hearing and render a decision within specified time frames.
- There is no specific mention of a required "sign plan" or "master sign plan" in the ordinance; instead, individual sign permits and possibly site plans are required as part of the application process for permanent signs.

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

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