# Sign Regulations in Englewood Cliffs Borough, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Englewood Cliffs Borough, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/englewood-cliffs-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/35702523#35702523)

## At a glance

Englewood Cliffs Borough, New Jersey regulates 17 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Ground Sign / Billboards in the B-2 Zone zoning district are capped at 4 feet panel, 6 feet total incl. base tall, 32 square feet, and 8 feet wide, with a Minimum 30 feet from any street/avenue line; 20 feet from any lot line. setback (Sec. §19-16c). Most commercial signs in Englewood Cliffs Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-B Residential Zone, R-B1 Residential Zone | 4 | 24 inches | 48 square inches | — |
| B-1 Zone, B-3 Zone, B-4 Zone | 6 | 24 inches | 48 square inches | — |
| B-2 Zone | 7 | 24 inches | 48 square inches | — |
| Municipal Recreation Fields | 2 | — | 16 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | — | 16 square feet per face | — |
| business and industrial districts | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### B-1 Zone, B-3 Zone, B-4 Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professional/Home Occupation Sign | 4 inches | 48 square inches | 12 inches | — | One per permitted use | — | — | §19-15a; §19-14a |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One | On the property for sale or rent only | — | §19-15a; §19-14b(1) |
| Temporary Open House Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One additional | On the property during hours of scheduled open house | — | §19-15a; §19-14b(2) |
| Temporary Builder/General Contractor Sign | 24 inches | 4 square feet | 24 inches | — | One | On property under construction | — | §19-15a; §19-14c |
| Wall Sign | 4 feet | 32 square feet | 16 feet | — | One (plus additional per 100 feet if frontage is 200+ feet) | Attached to and parallel to building | — | §19-15b2–b4 |
| Premises Sign | — | — | — | — | Per wall sign allowance | On premises or lot adjacent | — | §19-15b1 |

### B-2 Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professional/Home Occupation Sign | 4 inches | 48 square inches | 12 inches | — | One per permitted use | — | — | §19-16a; §19-14a |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One | On the property for sale or rent only | — | §19-16a; §19-14b(1) |
| Temporary Open House Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One additional | On the property during hours of scheduled open house | — | §19-16a; §19-14b(2) |
| Temporary Builder/General Contractor Sign | 24 inches | 4 square feet | 24 inches | — | One | On property under construction | — | §19-16a; §19-14c |
| Wall Sign | 4 feet | 32 square feet | 16 feet | — | One (plus additional per 100 feet if frontage is 200+ feet) | Attached to and parallel to building | — | §19-16b; §19-15b2–b4 |
| Ground Sign / Billboard | 4 feet panel, 6 feet total incl. base | 32 square feet | 8 feet | Minimum 30 feet from any street/avenue line; 20 feet from any lot line. | One per business establishment | On property of the business/occupancy only; within property boundary | — | §19-16c |
| Premises Sign | — | — | — | — | Per wall sign allowance | On premises or lot adjacent | — | §19-16b; §19-15b1 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Occupancy/Name Sign (Dwelling) | — | 2 square feet | — | At least 10 feet from any lot line | One per dwelling unit | Residential zones, at least 10 feet from any lot line | — | §19-4a(1) |
| Political Campaign Sign (Residential Property) | — | 9 square feet | — | — | — | On residential property | — | §19-4a(1), §19-12 |
| Political Campaign Sign (Commercial Property) | — | — | — | — | — | On commercial property | — | §19-4a(1), §19-12 |
| Parking Area Directional Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One per exit/entrance | Accessory to parking area, at each exit or entrance | — | §19-4a(1) |
| Memorial Sign or Tablet | — | — | — | — | — | Cut into masonry or constructed of bronze/incombustible materials | — | §19-4a(1) |
| Temporary Sign Accessory to Construction | — | 12 square feet | — | — | — | On premises under construction or alteration | — | §19-10 |
| Vertical Projecting Sign | — | 16 square feet per face | 1 foot thick, may not project more than 1 foot from building | — | — | Projecting at right angles to building line | — | §19-17 |

## Prohibited signs in Englewood Cliffs Borough

- No sign shall be erected, constructed or maintained except as provided in the ordinance and until a permit for the same has been issued by the Building Subcode Official.
- No person shall paint, post, place or affix any business or commercial advertisement, house numbers or markings on or to any curb stone, flagstone, street, sidewalk, tree, lamp post, telegraph, electric light, telephone pole, or hydrant within the limits of any street within the Borough unless by special permission from the construction code official.
- No sign erected before September 15, 1980, shall be rebuilt or relocated without conforming to these requirements except as otherwise provided by law or by this chapter.
- It is unlawful to construct or erect an off-site sign or billboard within the Borough.
- It is unlawful to equip any sign with artificial light which is not stationary and constant in intensity and color at all times when in use.
- It is unlawful to erect or equip any sign or advertising that employs flashing, intermittent illumination, rotating or other movement.
- It is unlawful to erect any illuminated sign.
- No sign of any type whatsoever shall be constructed which in any manner projects over or upon any public sidewalk or thoroughfare.
- Any sign which directs attention to a business, commodity, service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered elsewhere than upon the premises is prohibited in all cases except as provided for in the ordinance.
- All electrical equipment used in connection with outdoor advertising display signs must be installed in accordance with the National Electrical Code and certified by the construction code official.

## Signs exempt from permit in Englewood Cliffs Borough

- An occupancy sign for professional, religious, fraternal or charitable purposes containing not more than two square feet, at least 10 feet from any lot line, is exempt from the permit requirement.
- Political campaign signs on commercial properties and on residential properties, as long as the signs on residential properties are no larger than nine square feet in area, are exempt from the permit requirement.
- Signs in residential zones indicating the name or address of the occupant, not larger than two square feet in area and only one such sign per dwelling unit, are exempt from the permit requirement.
- Signs accessory to parking areas designating entrances or exits (one sign per exit/entrance, max size four square feet each) are exempt from the permit requirement.
- A memorial sign or tablet indicating the name of the building and/or date of erection, when cut into any masonry surface or constructed of bronze or other incombustible materials, is exempt from the permit requirement.
- The above exemptions apply only to the permit requirement and do not relieve the requirement to erect the sign in a good and safe condition.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- There is no requirement in the provided ordinance text for a master sign plan, sign plan, or a required sign variance meeting across all zones.

## 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 6 zoning districts in Englewood Cliffs Borough — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Englewood+Cliffs+Borough+NJ&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-englewood-cliffs-borough

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