# Sign Regulations in Dover Town, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Dover Town, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/dover-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/10033195#10033195)

## At a glance

Dover Town, New Jersey regulates 24 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Districts other than residential districts zoning district are capped at Top of sign shall not exceed height of commercial building or 20 feet max tall and 75 sq ft per side total (if digital, 60 sq ft max digital portion per side), with a No part of sign within 4 ft of property line setback (Sec. §236-38K(1)-(2), §236-38J(3)(f)). Most commercial signs in Dover Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| C-2 Zone District | 2 | Top of sign shall not exceed height of commercial building or 20 feet max | 75 sq ft per side total | — |
| Residential district, Residential zone | 6 | — | 60 sq in | — |
| Districts other than residential districts | 8 | Top of sign shall not exceed height of commercial building or 20 feet max | 75 sq ft per side total (if digital, 60 sq ft max digital portion per side) | — |
| All districts, General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | — | 32 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Residential district, Residential zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign (Temporary) | — | 5 sq ft | — | At least 8 feet from adjacent property line | No more than one on a residential lot | At least 8 feet from adjacent property line; on property for sale or lease | — | §236-38H(1); §236-38I(1) |
| Nameplate Sign | — | 60 sq in | — | — | One per family housed in residence | Per family | — | §236-38I(3)-(4) |
| Home Occupation or Professional Sign | — | 60 sq in | — | — | — | Residence | — | §236-38I(4) |
| Ground or Wall Sign (Boardinghouse, Lodging House, Apartment House) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | Identifying the name of the premises | — | §236-38I(5) |
| Sign for House of Worship, Charitable, Nonprofit Organization | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | Premises of houses of worship, charitable, nonprofit organizations | — | §236-38I(6) |
| Public Grounds Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Public grounds | — | §236-38I(2) |

### Districts other than residential districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Residential Zone Signs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §236-38J(1) |
| Professional Office Sign (Freestanding) | — | 10 sq ft | — | Minimum 10 feet from street side line | One per professional office premises | Set back at least 10 ft from street side line | — | §236-38J(2) |
| Business Sign - Wall Sign (Main Entrance) | — | 40 sq ft per wall sign | — | — | One per main public entrance per building; each street-facing wall on a corner lot allowed | One sign at each main public entrance; wall facing street. On corner lots, each wall facing street is front wall. | — | §236-38J(3)(a), §236-38L(1)-(2), §236-38J(3)(f), §319-1 |
| Business Sign - Directory Sign (Rear/Upper Floor Tenants) | — | 8 sq ft total | — | — | — | Principal entrance to rented areas (rear or upper floors) | — | §236-38J(3)(b) |
| Business Sign - Painted on Window/Door | — | — | — | — | One per window or door | On window or door of each business | — | §236-38J(3)(c) |
| Freestanding Sign | Top of sign shall not exceed height of commercial building or 20 feet max | 75 sq ft per side total (if digital, 60 sq ft max digital portion per side) | — | No part of sign within 4 ft of property line | One freestanding sign per lot | Per lot | — | §236-38K(1)-(2), §236-38J(3)(f) |
| Legally Required Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | Occupant's premises | — | §236-38J(4) |
| Special Public Convenience Signs | — | 72 sq in | — | — | One per type | — | — | §236-38J(5) |

### All districts, General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | 5 sq ft (residential); 20 sq ft (other districts) | — | At least 8 feet from adjacent property line | One per residential lot | At least 8 feet from adjacent property line, on property for sale/lease | — | §236-38H(1) |
| Banner Sign (Temporary, Announcement of New Occupancy) | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §236-38H(2) |
| Charitable/Religious Fundraising Sign (Temporary) | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | No more than two per org | Whenever feasible, on property owned/rented by organization | — | §236-38H(3) |
| Construction Sign (Temporary) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | Principal entrance to building within property lines | — | §236-38H(4) |
| Political Event Sign (Temporary) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §236-38H(5) |
| Temporary Window Sign | — | Up to 25% of window area | — | — | — | Window | — | §236-38H(6) |
| Small Policing/Parking Sign | — | 1 ft x 0.5 ft | — | — | — | — | — | §236-38D |
| Public Traffic/Control Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As permitted by government | — | §236-38E, §236-38F |

## Prohibited signs in Dover Town

- No sign shall project more than four feet over or within the line of any street and must be maintained at a height of 10 feet above the sidewalk to the lowest point of the sign.
- No sign shall be erected or suspended across a street or alley.
- No sign shall be used for or converted into a fence or wall of a shed or building.
- No matter shall be painted or posted on a sign or structure that is licentious, vulgar, obscene, or depicts the commission of any crime.
- It is unlawful to post or cause to be posted any handbill, placard, or advertisement or to paint or mark any advertisement on any pole, curb, flagging, tree, or fence on any street in the Town of Dover.
- Flashing, spelling, or movement of all or part of the sign is prohibited, except for time, temperature, or barbershop poles.
- Pylon signs/billboards or roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs which compete for attention with or may be mistaken for a traffic sign or signal are prohibited (digital signs allowed only under certain conditions in specific zones).
- Signs that are a menace to public safety or that obstruct the view of any street, intersection or crosswalk are prohibited. Signs erected on any part of the structure beneath a railroad overpass are deemed menaces to public safety.
- Temporary advertising signs affixed to the window of a door are prohibited, except for informational signs such as "Push" or "Pull."
- Projecting signs with an area greater than six square feet are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Dover Town

- Identification markings on poles as required by the Board of Public Utility Commissioners are exempt.
- Signs or markers for use in policing, directing, or controlling traffic or parking when legally authorized by the state, county, Town, or any department thereof are exempt.
- Small signs not enumerated elsewhere, exceeding 1 x 1/2 foot, may be erected for policing or parking purposes.
- Signs required by law to be exhibited by the occupant of the premises, provided that the same do not exceed six square feet in total area, are exempt.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Before erecting or placing any sign that projects over or within the lines of any public way, the owner or responsible party must file detailed drawings in duplicate and obtain a permit from the Inspector of Buildings.
- The filed detailed drawings must show the size, projection, method of support, fastening, and materials of the sign, and must demonstrate that both sign and fastenings are of incombustible material.

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

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/dover-town