# Sign Regulations in Dennis Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Dennis Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/dennis-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/37499064#37499064)

## At a glance

Dennis Township, New Jersey regulates 17 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Home Occupation Nameplates in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 6 sq. ft., with a At least 15 ft from the street right-of-way line setback (Sec. §185-43.B(9)). Most commercial signs in Dennis Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | No higher than the roof line or any lesser height as otherwise specified | 9 sq. ft. (each side, two sides allowed) | — |
| Pinelands Area | 2 | — | 50 sq. ft. (along four-lane state or federal highways); 32 sq. ft. (any other road) | — |
| Village Residential (VR) Zone | 1 | — | — | — |
| OVCC District, OVC District, CVC District | 6 | — | 30 sq. ft. | — |
| VC District | 5 | — | Max 15% of window area | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Any Sign (General Placement) | No higher than the roof line or any lesser height as otherwise specified | — | — | — | — | Freestanding or attached to buildings in an approved manner; must not obstruct driving vision, signals, signs, windows, or places of business | — | §185-43.A, A(2) |
| Animated, Flashing, or Illusionary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §185-43.A(1) |
| Freestanding or Attached Sign | No higher than the roof line of the building or any lesser specified | — | — | — | — | May not project into or over a street right-of-way; may not project beyond a building above areas traversed by motor vehicles; if over a pedestrian way, lowest portion at least 8 ft above walkway. | — | §185-43.A(2) |
| Illuminated Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §185-43.A(3) |
| Information and Directional Signs | — | 2 sq. ft. | — | — | — | All zones; street number designations, postal boxes, on-site direction/parking, warning signs, property posting ('Private Property', 'No Hunting', etc.) | — | §185-43.A(4) |
| Portable Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On movable stand, self-supporting, or movable as approved by code official; prohibited on vehicles except motor vehicles | — | §185-43.A(7) |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 9 sq. ft. (each side, two sides allowed) | — | 10 ft from all street lines if freestanding | — | On premises being sold/rented/leased. If not attached to building, must be set back at least 10 ft from all street lines. | — | §185-43.A(8) |
| Home Occupation Nameplate | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | At least 15 ft from the street right-of-way line | 1 | Either attached or freestanding | — | §185-43.B(9) |

### OVCC District, OVC District, CVC District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 30 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per street frontage (front and rear allowed) | On wall below second story floor line; also permitted for rear parking area walls | — | §185-43.C(1)(a)-(d) |
| Hanging Sign | — | 10 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Perpendicular to street, below second story floor line, at least 8 ft above sidewalk | — | §185-43.C(2)(a)-(e) |
| Street Address Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per building/tenant | On each building or each tenant | — | §185-43.C(3)(a)-(b) |
| Awning Sign | — | 30 sq. ft or max 50% of diagonal portion of awning; logo/letter area | — | — | 1 w/ lettering per business; logos allowed on all awnings | First-floor awnerings for each business; logos on all awnings permitted | — | §185-43.C(4)(a)-(e) |
| Window Lettering Sign | — | Max 15% of window area | — | — | — | Inside first floor window facing street | — | §185-43.C(5)(a)-(c) |
| Directory Sign | — | 12 sq. ft. | — | — | — | By main entrance to upper floors, only for upper story nonresidential uses | — | §185-43.C(6)(a)-(c) |

### VC District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 10 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Below second story floor line | — | §185-43.D(1)(a)-(c) |
| Hanging Sign | — | 4 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Perpendicular to street, below second story floor line, min 8 ft above sidewalk | — | §185-43.D(2)(a)-(e) |
| Street Address Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per building/tenant | On each building or each tenant | — | §185-43.D(3)(a)-(b) |
| Awning Sign | — | 10 sq. ft., or up to 50% of diagonal portion of awning (logo/letter area) | — | — | 1 with lettering per business; logos allowed on all awnings | First floor awnings for each business; logos on all awnings permitted | — | §185-43.D(4)(a)-(e) |
| Window Lettering Sign | — | Max 15% of window area | — | — | — | Inside first floor window facing street | — | §185-43.D(5)(a)-(c) |

## Prohibited signs in Dennis Township

- No billboards shall be erected except in the Pinelands Area as provided in Subsection A(12).
- No sign of any type shall be permitted to obstruct driving vision, traffic signals, traffic directional and identification signs, other places of business, other signs or windows of the building on which they are located.
- No sign shall be attached to trees, fence posts, stumps, utility poles or other signs; signs must be freestanding or attached to buildings in an approved manner.
- Signs using mechanical or electrical devices to revolve, flash, or display movement or the illusion of movement are prohibited.
- No freestanding or attached sign shall be higher at any point than the roof line of the building, except as otherwise specified.
- No attached sign shall project into or hang over a street right-of-way, and no sign shall project beyond a building in a manner placing it above an area traversed by motor vehicles.
- No sign with red, green or blue illumination in a beam, beacon, or flashing form resembling an emergency light shall be erected in any location where it may be confused with a railroad, traffic control or emergency signal.
- Portable signs shall not be illuminated or lighted between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m.
- No portable sign shall be illuminated except with nonflashing internal lighting.
- All signs and sign structures shall be located to allow a clear unobstructed line of sight for 300 feet from the stop line of any intersection of streets and/or driveways.
- No existing billboard or off-site commercial advertising sign in the Pinelands which does not conform to the requirements shall be permitted to continue beyond January 14, 1991.

## Signs exempt from permit in Dennis Township

- Street number designations, postal boxes, on-site directional and parking signs, warning signs, and signs posting property as 'private property' or 'no hunting' or similar are permitted in all zones and not to be considered in calculating sign area.
- Real estate signs temporarily advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises, not exceeding specified sizes, do not need a building permit.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No explicit requirement for a master sign plan, general sign plan, or variance meeting is mentioned in the provided ordinance sections.

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

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