# Sign Regulations in Boonton Town, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Boonton Town, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/boonton-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/7161322#7161322)

## At a glance

Boonton Town, New Jersey regulates 17 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Ground Sign)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 10 feet tall and 40 square feet, with a 5 feet from front, 3 feet from side/rear property lines setback (Sec. §233-3A–D). Most commercial signs in Boonton Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 45 inches | 40 square feet | — |
| Residential zones (R-1, R-2, R-3) | 3 | — | 3 square feet | — |
| Main Street Commercial Historic District | 7 | 45 inches | 33.3% of window area | — |
| Residential historic districts | 1 | — | 36 square inches | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Ground Sign) | 10 feet | 40 square feet | — | 5 feet from front, 3 feet from side/rear property lines | — | Must be set back at least 5 feet from the front property line and at least 3 feet from side and rear lines. | — | §233-3A–D |
| Wall Sign (Wall Bulletin) | — | — | — | — | — | Affixed parallel to building wall (front, rear, or side). Must not extend more than 4 inches beyond building line. | — | §233-4 |
| Projecting Sign (Generic) | Not higher than the structure's highest point (excluding chimney) | — | Projects max 6 feet from the building; sign thickness max 1 foot | 5 feet from adjoining property line (not required in business district) | — | At angle or parallel to wall but extends more than 12 inches; lowest edge at least 10 feet above sidewalk; must not project within 1 foot of curb or closer than 5 feet to adjoining property line (except in business districts) | — | §233-5 |
| Banner | — | — | — | — | — | Suspended across street attached to buildings or supports | — | §233-7 |
| Marquee Sign | Vertical height of sign not greater than 6 feet; not more than 5 feet above nor 1 foot below awning | — | May extend entire length and width of awning | — | — | Affixed to marquee or marquee awning; may extend to within 1 foot of curb, at least 10 feet above sidewalk | — | §233-8 |
| Sandwich Board/A-frame/Menu Sign/Dispenser | 45 inches | — | 24 inches | — | 1 per business | Placed next to the building (not by curb, not in walkway) | — | §233-3.1 |
| Temporary Sign (General) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §233-18 |

### Residential zones (R-1, R-2, R-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Residential Use) | — | 3 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | §233-12A, §233-9, §233-5E |
| Freestanding Sign (Residential Use) | — | 3 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | §233-12A, §233-9 |
| Projecting Sign (Residential Use, Professional Nameplate) | — | 3 square feet | — | — | — | On residence or place of business | — | §233-5E, §233-9 |

### Main Street Commercial Historic District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Customary Identification Sign (Nonprofit Organization) | 8 feet | 9 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | §233-17B |
| Public/Semipublic Facility Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §233-17C |
| Window Sign | — | 33 1/3% of window area (no limit for vacant stores) | — | — | — | In window | — | §233-17D, §233-18A, §233-19B |
| Neon Sign (Window, Single) | — | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per store | In window | — | §233-17E, §233-19B, §233-20E |
| Ground Sign (Historic District) | — | — | — | — | — | Must be inside property line | — | §233-17F |
| Sandwich Board/A-frame/Menu Sign/Dispenser | 45 inches | — | 24 inches | — | 1 per business | Placed next to the building | — | §233-17G, §233-3.1 |
| Temporary Window Sign | — | 33.3% of window area | — | — | — | Window | — | §233-18 |

## Prohibited signs in Boonton Town

- It is unlawful to erect, alter, relocate, reconstruct, or maintain any exterior sign without first obtaining a permit from the Construction Official and Zoning Officer and complying with the provisions of this chapter (§ 233-1).
- No ground sign may be erected to a height exceeding 10 feet above ground level, and its area shall not exceed 40 square feet (§ 233-3B).
- No picture, bill, poster or advertisement of an obscene, indecent, licentious, or immoral character shall be displayed on any advertising structure (§ 233-3E).
- Billboards are expressly prohibited as a permitted use (§ 233-3F).
- No roof signs shall be erected (§ 233-6).
- No persons shall paint, post, place or affix any advertisement, or cause same to be done, on or to any curb stone, flagstone, or any other portion of any street or sidewalk, or upon any tree, lamppost, telegraph, electric light, telephone pole, hydrants, within the limits of any street within the Town, unless by special permission (§ 233-10C).
- No sign board or advertising display of any nature or description shall be installed, erected, maintained or constructed in such a manner as to obstruct any fire escape, exit, ingress or egress of any window or door, nor at any time be attached in any manner to any fire escape (§ 233-10D).
- No sign of any nature, temporary, movable, or otherwise, shall be placed upon any sidewalk except by permission of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen (§ 233-10E).
- No paper or oilcloth signs of any kind shall be allowed on the exterior of any building (§ 233-13D).
- All signs not expressly permitted or exempt are prohibited (§ 233-20).

## Signs exempt from permit in Boonton Town

- Danger, warning, automobile, director, street, or safety signs may be placed without a permit in any location for the safety of the public, subject to supervision (§ 233-13A).
- The chapter does not apply to any signs required to be posted or set up by direction of state law or any court order (§ 233-13B).
- Real estate signs advertising the building upon which the signs are erected, for sale or rent, may be erected without a permit, provided they are not over nine square feet in area, and on vacant lots must conform to setback provisions (§ 233-13C).
- This chapter shall not apply to signs commonly in use by professional persons and attached to their residence or place of business which do not exceed three square feet in area (§ 233-5E).
- Any sign otherwise exempted in accordance with § 233-14 or any other provision is exempt from the prohibition on large signs in residential zones (§ 233-12B).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- An application for a sign permit must be accompanied by a plan or design of the proposed sign showing its weight, material, dimensions, color, color combination, wording or illustration, illuminating equipment, details of its attachment and hangings, and its position relative to the building or property (§ 233-2B).
- Existing signs are not required to conform unless the owner moves, sells the business, redecorates/repaints the sign, or the location changes; in these cases compliance is required (§ 233-2G).
- All sidewalk (sandwich/A-frame/menu) signs must be registered with the Town Clerk with a picture attached to the application (§ 233-3.1E).
- Article VI (§ 233-17C) notes that for public/semipublic facilities (such as schools, churches, hospitals, libraries), the Planning Board, in determining sign area and height limitations, shall be governed by standards established in other sections, but there is reference to Planning Board discretion which may require submission of plans.
- Jurisdiction of the Planning Board for appeals, interpretations, and variances applies (§ 233-14).

## 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 Boonton Town — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Boonton+Town+NJ&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-boonton-town

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