# Sign Regulations in Burlington, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Burlington, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/burlington
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-21
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/13613729#13613729)

## At a glance

Burlington, New Jersey regulates 42 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Real Estate Signs in the Historic District (Overlay) zoning district are capped at 5 feet if ground sign tall and 4 square feet, with a 6 ft from curb or pavement for ground sign. setback (Sec. § 285-24D). Most commercial signs in Burlington require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | — | 50 square feet per side | — |
| Historic District (Overlay) | 19 | 6 feet if ground sign or wall sign | 20 sq.ft. per sign | — |
| Residential Districts, Waterfront District, Special Island District | 7 | — | 12 square feet | — |
| NC-1 Neighborhood Center, TC-2 Town Center District, W-1 Waterfront District | 4 | — | 15% per storefront glass or up to 30% for corner property (15% per street exposure) | — |
| HC-1 Highway Corridor District, HCO-1 Highway Corridor Overlay-1 District | 6 | 24 feet max (overall top); bottom of display min 8 feet above ground | 50 square feet | — |
| HC-2 Highway Corridor District, I-1 Industrial District, IP Industrial Park District, Industrial Zones | 6 | 24 feet (top); bottom of display at least 8 feet from ground | 100 square feet | — |
| Office Districts, Urban Commercial District | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### Historic District (Overlay)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Residential/Institutional/Waterfront) | — | 1.5 square feet | — | — | One per premises. | Affixed to exterior wall. | — | § 285-24B |
| Ground Sign (Residential/Institutional/Waterfront) | — | 1.5 square feet | — | — | One per premises. | On premises. | — | § 285-24B |
| Real Estate Sign | 5 feet if ground sign | 4 square feet | — | 6 ft from curb or pavement for ground sign. | — | On property being sold/rented. | — | § 285-24D |
| Facade Sign (Commercial/Office, Ground Floor) | — | 10% of the area of ground-level facade | — | — | One per ground-floor facade per occupant, plus one secondary (up to half size) if a secondary entrance exists. | Ground floor facade, exterior wall. | — | § 285-25H(1), § 285-26 |
| Ground Sign (Commercial/Office, Ground Floor) | — | 12 square feet | — | ≥10 feet from pavement edge or curb or outside right-of-way. | — | At least 10 feet from pavement edge or curb or outside right-of-way. | — | § 285-25H(1)(e) |
| Projecting Sign (Commercial/Office, Ground Floor) | — | 6 square feet | Projects max 3'3" (39 inches) from facade | — | — | Projecting from facade. | — | § 285-25H(1)(f) |
| Window Sign (Business, Ground Floor) | — | 15% of storefront glass per frontage or 30% for corner properties (w/ max 15% per exposure to each street front). | — | — | Up to two per business, not more than one per window or door. | Painted/affixed to glass of business windows and/or doors. | — | § 285-25H(1)(g,h), § 285-25L |
| Grand Opening Sign (Temporary, Commercial) | 6 feet if ground sign or wall sign | 20 sq.ft. per sign | — | — | One per street frontage per business. | Ground, window or wall (one per street frontage). | — | § 285-25I |

### Residential Districts, Waterfront District, Special Island District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Occupant/Professional/Street Address) | — | 1.5 square feet | — | — | One per premises. | On exterior wall. | — | § 285-17A |
| Ground Sign (Occupant/Professional/Street Address) | — | 1.5 square feet | — | — | One per premises. | On premises. | — | § 285-17A |
| Wall or Ground Sign (Public/Community Facility) | — | 8 square feet | — | — | — | On premises of church, library, school, or other public building. | — | § 285-17C |
| Wall or Ground Sign (Directional/Warning for Public Buildings) | — | 1 square foot | — | — | — | On grounds of libraries, schools, churches or other public buildings. | — | § 285-17C |
| Sale or Rent Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | — | On property to be sold/rented. | — | § 285-17D |
| Temporary Directional Sign | — | 1 square foot | — | — | — | For directional purposes. | — | § 285-17E |
| Temporary Construction Sign | — | 12 square feet | — | — | — | On site during construction/development. | — | § 285-17F |

### HC-1 Highway Corridor District, HCO-1 Highway Corridor Overlay-1 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 24 feet max (overall top); bottom of display min 8 feet above ground | 50 square feet | — | — | One per property. | Near but wholly inside front property line, at right angles to it, adjacent to side line closest to oncoming traffic. | — | § 285-19A |
| Roof Sign | 3 feet | Combined total of all signs not to exceed 10% of building face | — | — | — | On top of building/ledge/marquee facing street. | — | § 285-19B(1) |
| Facade Sign | — | 10% of building face | — | — | — | Face facing street. | — | § 285-19B(2) |
| Window Sign | — | 10% of glass area of entrance/exit door or 25% of first floor/street level window area | — | — | — | On entrance/exit door or first floor windows facing street. | — | § 285-19B(3) |
| Temporary or Mobile Sign | — | — | — | — | 30 day total/year per business. | — | — | § 285-19C |
| Freestanding Price Board / Reader Board (Gas Station) | — | 10 sq.ft. per board | — | — | One per road frontage in addition to principal freestanding sign. | One per road frontage, permanently attached or incorporated into permitted freestanding sign. | — | § 285-19D |

## Prohibited signs in Burlington

- It is unlawful to erect or construct any commercial or political sign or other advertising structure without first obtaining a building permit from the Construction Official and making payment of the required fee.
- No freestanding sign shall be situated in a sight triangle or closer to any property line than 25 feet, nor located in any sight triangle or interfere with any circulation pattern.
- Nonconforming signs may not be altered, rebuilt, enlarged, extended, or relocated unless they are changed to conforming signs.
- Illuminated signs must not have beams, beacons, or flashing illumination.
- All sign lighting must be shielded or use a translucent fixture to reduce off-site effects and must be directed away from adjoining lots and streets.
- No wall sign shall cover, wholly or partially, any wall opening or project beyond the ends or tops of the walls to which it is attached.
- No more than two wall or facade signs per use are permitted.
- No sign shall be erected, relocated, or maintained so as to obstruct any door, window, or fire escape.
- No campaign material shall be painted or affixed to any public place, public facility, or private property (including private fence or tree) without owner consent.
- The following types of signs are specifically prohibited citywide: billboards and outdoor display structures (including temporary ones), advertising signs tacked, pasted, painted, or otherwise attached to poles, posts, trees, fences, sidewalks, or curbs; 'A' or 'sandwich' type signs or temporary signs on sidewalks; signs on trailers, truck trailers, or unregistered motor vehicles; animated, flashing or illusionary signs (except time-and-temperature or barbershop poles); illuminated signs using red or green lights within 200 feet of any street intersection; signs, words, murals, or graphic designs painted directly on exterior walls, streets, sidewalks, public places, or public facilities; signs advertising goods/services/businesses not available on the premises; signs that use the word 'danger' or 'stop' or are likely to be confused with official signs; pennants, banners, mobiles (except where allowed for mobile signs); and illuminated tubing or strings outlining buildings except for Christmas decorations in November, December, and January.
- Any sign that is dangerous, unsafe, or erected contrary to the code must be repaired or removed by the owner/occupant.
- Nonconforming signs that are not kept painted, illuminated, or in good repair for one year are considered abandoned and must be removed.
- Any nonconforming sign (or conforming sign) which no longer advertises a bona fide business or product sold must be removed (for nonconforming) or have the message obliterated (for conforming).
- Permit-exempt signs must still be kept in good and safe condition.
- No wall/facade/window signs may exceed 10% of the building facade on which they are located.

## Signs exempt from permit in Burlington

- No permit required for ground, wall, or window signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises upon which they are maintained, not exceeding 12 square feet in specific commercial and industrial districts and four square feet in all other districts.
- No permit required for occupancy signs (e.g., for professional purposes) containing not more than four square feet.
- No permit required for traffic or other municipal signs.
- No permit required for legal notices.
- No permit required for railroad crossing signs.
- No permit required for temporary emergency signs erected by government or public utility employees in carrying out official work.
- No permit required for names on mailboxes.
- Municipal signs related to traffic control, public information, public access or safety, or similar purpose erected or approved by the City or the Board of Education do not require Historic Preservation Commission review in the historic district.
- Exemption from permit requirements does not relieve the sign owner from the responsibility of safe erection and maintenance.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Any sign in the historic district requires submission of an application (with sketches and drawings) to the Planning Board (for Article I) or the Historic Preservation Commission (for Article II), which reviews plans for size, location, color, materials, style, illumination, design, and compatibility with the historic character. Approval is required prior to permit issuance.
- For any sign located in a historic district, applications must be submitted to the Historic Preservation Commission and approved by the Planning Board as to size, location, color, materials, style, illumination, and design before a permit is issued.
- The Planning Board refers sign plans in the historic district to the Historic Preservation Commission for comment, which are considered in the Planning Board's review.
- No explicit requirement for a 'master sign plan' or similar for properties outside of the historic district, but all sign permits must be approved by the Construction Official. The only additional plan review applies to the historic district.
- Appeals of Construction Official decisions regarding sign plans and permits may be made to the Planning Board.

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

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