# Sign Regulations in Clinton Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Clinton Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/clinton-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/9549720#9549720)

## At a glance

Clinton Township, New Jersey regulates 32 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Temporary Construction Sign (Residential)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 3 ft tall and 4 sq ft, with a Min. 5 ft from any lot line setback (Sec. §165-109L(10)). Most commercial signs in Clinton Township 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 | 23 | 35 ft | Up to 200 sq ft | — |
| Rural and Residential Districts | 4 | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — |
| Nonresidential Districts (Institutional, Quasi-public, and Public Uses) | 1 | 6 ft (if freestanding) | 20 sq ft | — |
| Nonresidential Districts, Commercial District, ROM District, Industrial District | 5 | 8 ft | 200 sq ft max | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Construction Sign (Residential) | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — | Min. 5 ft from any lot line | 1 per lot | On lot | — | §165-109L(10) |
| Temporary Construction Sign (Nonresidential) | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — | Min. 5 ft from any lot line | 1 per lot | On lot | — | §165-109L(10) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Residential) | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — | Min. 5 ft from any lot line | See additional requirements | On parcel/unit; may be one additional for dual frontage | — | §165-109L(11) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Nonresidential) | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — | Min. 5 ft from any lot line | See additional requirements | On parcel/unit; may be one additional for dual frontage | — | §165-109L(11) |
| Temporary Garage/Yard Sale Sign | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — | Min. 5 ft from any lot line | 1 per parcel | On parcel with lawful residential use | — | §165-109L(12) |
| Temporary Future Development Sign (Subdivision) | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — | Min. 5 ft from any lot line | 1 per property | On new subdivision property | — | §165-109L(14) |
| Temporary Special Event Sign (On-site Option 1: 0-15 ft setback, ≤4 sq ft sign) | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — | ≥5 ft | 1 per event | On-site; 5 ft to <15 ft from front property line or ROW | — | §165-109L(15)(d)-(l) |
| Temporary Special Event Sign (On-site Option 2: ≥15 ft setback) | 6 ft | Up to 200 sq ft | — | ≥15 ft (increases area cap) | 1 per event | On-site; ≥15 ft from street/ROW | — | §165-109L(15)(d)-(l) |

### Rural and Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Identification Sign (Multifamily Residential Use) | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — | — | 1 per public street frontage with access | One per public street frontage with vehicular access | — | §165-109M(1) |
| Wall Identification Sign (Multifamily Residential Use) | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building | One per building | — | §165-109M(1) |
| Freestanding/Wall Identification Sign (Institutional, Quasi-public, Public Uses) | 6 ft (if freestanding) | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per use | 1 per use, freestanding or wall | — | §165-109M(2) |
| Temporary Agricultural Produce Sign | 6 ft (if freestanding) | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per use | On lot with allowed agricultural use | — | §165-109M(3) |

### Nonresidential Districts, Commercial District, ROM District, Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent Freestanding Sign (General Setback/Area Option 1: 15 ft setback, 25 sq ft sign) | 8 ft | 25 sq ft (at 15 ft setback) | — | Min. 15 ft from each lot line/ROW, 100 ft from other freestanding signs, 300 ft if corner lot | 1 per lot | 1 per lot with permitted use | — | §165-109N(1) |
| Permanent Freestanding Sign (General Setback/Area Option 2: >15 ft setback, area increases) | 8 ft | 200 sq ft max | — | Setback longer than 15 ft increases max area | 1 per lot | 1 per lot with permitted use | — | §165-109N(1) |
| Permanent Wall Sign | — | 200 sq ft (or 10% of front facade, whichever is less) | — | — | 2 per principal building facade facing street | On principal building facade facing street | — | §165-109N(2) |
| Incidental Sign | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 4 per site | Building wall or freestanding sign structure | — | §165-109N(3) |
| Permanent Window Sign (Nonresidential) | — | — | — | — | No explicit limit | On glass (window/door) facing public street/public access, same story as business | — | §165-109N(4) |

## Prohibited signs in Clinton Township

- Billboards (except temporary off-site signs as permitted).
- Revolving signs.
- Flashing signs.
- Animated signs.
- Wind signs.
- Portable signs.
- Roof signs.
- Abandoned and discontinued signs.
- Snipe signs; bandit signs.
- Projecting signs, except as expressly allowed.
- Bus bench advertising signs; bus shelter advertising signs.
- Signs that emit smoke, visible vapor, sound, odor, or visible particles or gaseous matter.
- Signs with unshielded illuminating devices and/or that do not fully comply with the Township's lighting ordinance regulations (§ 165-74).
- Signs that obstruct, conceal, hide or otherwise obscure from view any official traffic or governmental sign, signal or device.
- Wall signs that exceed 200 square feet in sign area.
- Freestanding signs that are higher than 15 feet.
- Signs within a sight triangle.
- Signs in the public right-of-way, other than traffic control device signs, warning signs or safety signs.
- Signs (other than traffic control device signs) that use 'stop' or 'danger,' or imply need to stop/existence of danger, or that copy/imitiate official traffic control devices, when adjacent to the right-of-way.
- Signs prohibited by state or federal law.
- Vehicle signs or signs which have a total sign area on any vehicle in excess of 10 square feet, when the vehicle is not regularly used in the business/activity advertised and parked more than five hours within 100 feet of right-of-way.
- Signs located on real property without the permission of the property owner.
- Beacon signs (except as required by law).
- Intermittent signs.
- Sandwich board signs.
- Signs located, painted or affixed on a water tower, storage tower, or cell tower visible from a public street or roadway.

## Signs exempt from permit in Clinton Township

- A sign, other than a window sign, located entirely inside the premises of a building or enclosed space.
- A sign on a car, other than a prohibited vehicle sign or signs.
- A statutory sign.
- A traffic control device sign.
- Any sign not visible from a public street, sidewalk or right-of-way, except if the sign for a commercial use is visible from an abutting residential use.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit application shall be accompanied by plans and specifications drawn to scale, together with any site plan required by this section or this Code.
- The applicant must submit site plan information with the sign permit application if a site plan is required elsewhere in Township codes or this section.
- There is no explicit mention of a master sign plan or required variance/board appearance for sign plans, except that appeals on denied permits (e.g. prohibitied signs) are to the Board of Adjustment.
- Permanent signs (unless exempt) require a sign permit for erection, alteration, relocation, maintenance or display.

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

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