# Sign Regulations in Bridgewater, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Bridgewater, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/bridgewater
- **Data last verified:** 2025-09-11
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/8960675#8960678)

## At a glance

Bridgewater, New Jersey regulates 16 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Commercial/Nonresidential)s in the C-1, C-1A, C-2, C-3, C-3A, C-3B, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7, GCM, M-1, M-1A, M-1B, M-1C, M-2, M-3, SED, MPD, P, P-2, LC, HIC, SDD, GC, BRCC, OR/D, PRCPD, Bridgewater Regional Center zoning district are capped at Not to exceed height of principal structure or 25 feet, whichever is less. tall and 100 sq ft (up to 150 sq ft at Planning Board discretion for harmonious design), with a See above (distance from ROW by size); must not create visibility hazard. setback (Sec. §126-195D, §126-195E(4), §126-195F(11-12)). Most commercial signs in Bridgewater require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-50, R-40, R-20, R-10, R-10A, R-10B, R-10.C, R-10.1, R-20.1, R-40A, R-40B, R-40C, SC/HD, SC/MD, R-MDU-5, R-MDU-6, R-MDU-8, R-MDU-10.5, R-RDMU-13, RMDU-26, R-40 MDU-1, R-40 PURD | 4 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| C-1, C-1A, C-2, C-3, C-3A, C-3B, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7, GCM, M-1, M-1A, M-1B, M-1C, M-2, M-3, SED, MPD, P, P-2, LC, HIC, SDD, GC, BRCC, OR/D, PRCPD, Bridgewater Regional Center | 4 | Not to exceed height of principal structure or 25 feet, whichever is less. | 100 sq ft (unless otherwise permitted by Planning Board as noted above) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| HC (Hotel Conference Center), GCE (Golf Course Enterprise) | 2 | 25 ft; not higher than principal building. | 100 sq ft | — |
| SDD (Special Design District) - Overlay zones (Martinsville, etc.) | 1 | — | 100 sq ft | — |
| R-MDU Zones (R-MDU-5, R-MDU-6, R-MDU-8, R-MDU-10.5) | 2 | — | 30 sq ft (typical for multi-family identification) | — |
| P, P-2 (Public/Institutional) | 1 | — | 30 sq ft freestanding; wall sign: up to 5% of building face | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### R-50, R-40, R-20, R-10, R-10A, R-10B, R-10.C, R-10.1, R-20.1, R-40A, R-40B, R-40C, SC/HD, SC/MD, R-MDU-5, R-MDU-6, R-MDU-8, R-MDU-10.5, R-RDMU-13, RMDU-26, R-40 MDU-1, R-40 PURD

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Single-Family Residences) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per dwelling (plus mailbox sign) | On the dwelling unit; only one per dwelling, plus mailbox sign. | — | §126-195A; §126-336 |
| Temporary Sale or Rental Sign (Residential) | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On the premises being advertised | — | §126-195B |
| Development Sale Sign (Residential Developments 4+ homes) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | One per frontage | At frontage(s) of development | — | §126-195B(4) |
| Institutional or Organization Sign (Schools, churches, etc.) | — | 30 sq ft freestanding; wall signs up to 5% of building facade | — | — | One per frontage | On property | — | §126-195C |

### C-1, C-1A, C-2, C-3, C-3A, C-3B, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7, GCM, M-1, M-1A, M-1B, M-1C, M-2, M-3, SED, MPD, P, P-2, LC, HIC, SDD, GC, BRCC, OR/D, PRCPD, Bridgewater Regional Center

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall/Façade Sign (Commercial/Nonresidential) | — | 100 sq ft (unless otherwise permitted by Planning Board as noted above) | — | — | Aggregate area applies, not number limit per se | Affixed flat to building facade fronting on the street. | — | §126-195D, §126-195E(1-3), §126-195F |
| Freestanding Sign (Commercial/Nonresidential) | Not to exceed height of principal structure or 25 feet, whichever is less. | 100 sq ft (up to 150 sq ft at Planning Board discretion for harmonious design) | — | See above (distance from ROW by size); must not create visibility hazard. | 1 per property; may permit a second on different frontage | May not be located closer to ROW than: <25 sq ft area: 20 ft; 26-75 sq ft: 25 ft; 76+ sq ft: 30 ft. (Planning Board can waive for site conditions). | — | §126-195D, §126-195E(4), §126-195F(11-12) |
| Directional Sign (On-site Directional, Commercial/Nonresidential) | — | 3 sq ft per sign | — | Per site plan—no hazards. | As needed for navigation/safety (per Planning Board approval) | On-site, as shown in approved site plan. | — | §126-195F(13) |
| Temporary Sale/Rental Sign (Commercial/Nonresidential) | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On the premises being advertised | — | §126-195F(8) |

### HC (Hotel Conference Center), GCE (Golf Course Enterprise)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall/Façade Sign (Hotel/Conference/Golf) | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | Aggregate area applies, not number limit per se | Affixed to building facade. | — | §126-195D, §126-195E(1-3), HC: §126-310.1B(4), GCE: §126-310.2C |
| Freestanding Sign (HC/GCE) | 25 ft; not higher than principal building. | 100 sq ft (up to 150 sq ft at Board discretion) | — | See above; must not impair visibility. | 1 per property; 1 per major frontage where allowed | Frontage (must meet distance from ROW: <25 sq ft: 20 ft; 26-75 sq ft: 25 ft; 76+ sq ft: 30 ft). | — | §126-195D/E, §126-310.1B(4)/§126-310.2C |

## Prohibited signs in Bridgewater

- Any use not specifically designated as a principal permitted use, permitted use, permitted accessory use or conditional use is specifically prohibited from any zone district in the Township of Bridgewater (§126-324A).
- Signs in the interior of a structure designed to be seen and read from the exterior shall be considered as part of any maximum sign area (§126-195F(2)).
- Signs attached to a principal structure shall not extend above the roof line or the parapet (§126-195F(3)).
- No flashing, moving or apparently moving signs are permitted except for time and temperature and changeable copy displays (§126-195F(4)).
- The top of freestanding signs shall not exceed the height limit of principal structures in the zone or 25 feet, whichever is lesser (§126-195F(5)).
- Signs, whether portable, permanent or temporary, other than municipal, county or state signs, shall not be erected within the right-of-way of any street or approved sight easements, nor shall any sign be located so as to constitute a traffic hazard (§126-195F(6)).
- Advertising signs shall not be permitted in any zone district (§126-195F(9)).
- All signs shall be kept in good repair; broken structural elements, casings, faces and unlit lights must be replaced or repaired (§126-195F(14)).
- Any location where business goods are no longer sold or services no longer provided shall have 90 days to remove any remaining or derelict on-premise signs (§126-195F(15)).
- Signs shall not be located closer than certain listed distances to street rights-of-way, with minimums varying by sign size (§126-195F(11)).
- Directional signs smaller than three square feet are exempt from area and location regulations but still must not present a hazard (§126-195F(13)).
- Portable signs, banners, and flags (excluding certain permitted freestanding signs) are prohibited in some districts (§126-195E(1)(b)(7)-(8)).
- Permanent signs with telephone numbers posted on the sign are not permitted (§126-162E).
- Temporary advertising messages placed on unattended vehicles visible from the right-of-way more than eight hours in a twenty-four-hour period are considered signs (§126-162D).
- All signs identifying the name, business, occupant, service, address or product offered must pertain to on-premises activity (§126-195F(1)).
- No sign permit shall be required for temporary signs for special events not exceeding 32 square feet, but time limits and removal are specified (§126-195F(8)).
- Advertising signs directing attention to a business, commodity, service or facility sold or offered elsewhere than on the premises are prohibited (§126-195F(1), §126-195F(9)).
- Any sign that becomes structurally unsafe or endangers safety must be repaired or removed within ten days (§126-195F(10)).

## Signs exempt from permit in Bridgewater

- Signs for name or address of the occupant on single-family dwellings may be permitted up to two square feet; home occupation may be included; one sign per dwelling unit, plus mailbox sign (§126-195A, §126-336).
- Sales or rental signs not exceeding eight square feet (plus special rules for developments, commercial, or industrial properties up to 32 square feet) are allowed, subject to removal after sale/rental (§126-195B).
- Institutional signs for schools, colleges, churches and similar may have one freestanding sign not exceeding 30 square feet per frontage (§126-195C(1)), and/or facade sign (up to 5% of building facade) (§126-195C(2)).
- Directional signs under three square feet are exempt from area and location regulations if shown on an approved site plan and not a hazard (§126-195F(13)).
- Signs for newsracks (as defined) are exempt if not used for advertising other than sales of publications (§126-334.1B(5)).
- Signs within shopping centers, regional shopping centers, or multiuse developments are subject to a site-specific overall sign plan approved by the Planning Board, allowing for design consistency (§126-195E).
- Temporary signs for a special event, including elections or sales (other than for home sales), are not required to have a permit if less than 32 square feet and shall be removed within five days after the event; other temporary signs are limited to four weeks (§126-195F(8)).
- Signs required by county, state, or federal agencies/regulations must be complied with; these are not subject to municipal prohibition (§126-195F(16)).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Every site plan application must include a sign plan showing design, location, size, construction, and illumination in compliance with ordinance regulations (§126-195).
- Each major shopping center, multi-use development, and industrial park must submit a unified sign plan as part of site plan review approval, including details on letter style, lighting, color, construction, materials, sign height, location, standards, etc. to be approved by the Planning Board (§126-195E(1)(a)).
- The sign plan for multiuse developments must be based on an integrated design theme, including all elements noted above, and is subject to approval as to harmony and consistency with principal structures and the landscaping plan (§126-195E(2)).
- Sign plans for shopping centers, industrial parks, and multi-tenant uses are evaluated for consistency, color themes, size, and compatibility with architecture—the Board may require a sign manual (§126-195E(2), §126-321J(3)).
- All sign plans for nonresidential signage in certain residential zones must meet special requirements, including Planning Board review (§126-195E(1)(b), (c)).
- Sign permits are required for the erection, alteration, or reconstruction of any sign, except as noted for certain temporary signs (§126-195F(7)-(8)).
- Freestanding shopping centers, regional retail complexes, and similar must establish an integrated sign plan as part of Planning Board approval (§126-195E, §126-341.4R, §126-321I).

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

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