# Sign Regulations in Franklin Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Franklin Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/franklin-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/6275317#6275317)

## At a glance

Franklin Township, New Jersey regulates 36 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Freestanding Enterprise Signs in the B, NC, PN-C zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and 32 sq ft per side, with a 10 ft from ROW or property line setback (Sec. § 253-184.1C, § 253-184.1C(1)-(5)). Most commercial signs in Franklin Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | — | 32 sq ft per side | — |
| R-A, PR-R, PA-P, I, P-I, Medium-density Residential Zone | 5 | 5 ft from ground | 50 sq ft per side for sign; 50 sq ft lettering area if architectural features included | — |
| Institutional District | 3 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| FV, MV | 2 | — | — | — |
| B, NC, PN-C | 8 | 25 ft | 64 sq ft | — |
| HC Highway Commercial District, PH-C Highway Commercial District | 4 | 6 ft | As per § 253-184.1B (max 40 sq ft for individual buildings, 3 ft height for strip stores) | — |
| IC, LM, PLM-I | 6 | 30 in (letters) | 144 sq in (12 in x 12 in) | — |
| F Flood Districts | 2 | 30 in letters, see § 253-184.3C(6) | 32 sq ft per side | — |
| Health Care System Zone | 3 | 10 ft (monument); 20 ft (pole-mounted) | 100 sq ft per side | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 9 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate Sign (Professional Use, Accessory Use, Home Occupation, or Dwelling Occupant) | — | 2 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 | Within property lines; identifies the premises | — | § 253-183A |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | 12 sq ft (residential districts); 64 sq ft (all other districts) | — | — | 1 per lot per major road frontage | On-premises only | — | § 253-179C(6) |
| Temporary Construction Sign | — | 32 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per site | Confined to site of construction | — | § 253-179C(7) |
| Temporary Banner Sign | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business at one time | On-premises | — | § 253-179C(9) |
| Temporary Political Sign (Nonresidential zone) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | Any privately owned lot in nonresidential zone | — | § 253-179C(4) |
| Temporary Political Sign (All districts) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | Any district, on-premises only | — | § 253-179C(4) |
| Temporary Civic/Religious/Education Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | On-premises for event | — | § 253-179C(5) |

### B, NC, PN-C

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Facade Sign (Strip Store) | 3 ft high (sign box or individual channel letters) | — | — | — | 1 per tenant | Facade/Building-mounted | — | § 253-184.1B(1) |
| Facade Sign (Individual Building) | — | 40 sq ft max | — | — | 1 per tenant | Facade/Building-mounted | — | § 253-184.1B(2) |
| Freestanding Enterprise Sign | 6 ft | 32 sq ft per side | — | 10 ft from ROW or property line | 1 per store or group of stores | No closer than 10 ft to street ROW or property line; not to create visibility hazard | — | § 253-184.1C, § 253-184.1C(1)-(5) |
| Shopping Center Freestanding Sign | 25 ft | 64 sq ft | — | — | 1 per major road frontage | 1 per major road fronting the project | — | § 253-184.1G |
| Freestanding Sign (Gas Station) | 15 ft | 50 sq ft | 8 ft | — | 1 per gas station | On-premises | — | § 253-184.1H(1) |
| Facade Sign (Gas Station) | — | — | 10 ft length | — | 1 per gas station | Building face | — | § 253-184.1H(2) |
| Canopy Sign (Gas Station) | — | — | 8 ft length | — | 2 per canopy | On canopy (2 sides allowed) | — | § 253-184.1H(3) |
| Banner Sign (Gas Station Service Bay) | — | — | — | — | 3 per gas station | On facades of service bays | — | § 253-184.1H(4) |

### IC, LM, PLM-I

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Master Sign Program Signs (IC, LM, PLM-I) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 253-184.3C(1) |
| Freestanding Project Identification Sign | 6 ft | — | 10 ft (if 6 ft high) OR 4 ft (if 6 ft high) | — | 1 per perimeter street or highway | One per perimeter street or highway | — | § 253-184.3C(2) |
| Freestanding Building Identification Sign (Office/Hotel/Industrial) | 3 ft (if 12 ft long sign) OR 6 ft (if 4 ft long sign) | — | 12 ft (if 3 ft high) OR 4 ft (if 6 ft high) | — | 1 per building | Visible from adjacent street | — | § 253-184.3C(3) |
| Tenant Directory Sign | 3.5 ft (if 4.5 ft long) OR 3 ft (if 6 ft high) | — | 4.5 ft (if 3.5 ft high) OR 3 ft (if 6 ft high) | — | As needed | Within parking lot near vehicular access points | — | § 253-184.3C(4) |
| Wall-Mounted Tenant Sign (Multi-Occupied Building) | 12 in | 144 sq in (12 in x 12 in) | 12 in | — | 1 per tenant | Next to exterior entry doors | — | § 253-184.3C(5) |
| Facade Sign (Office/Hotel/Industrial Building) | 30 in (letters) | — | — | — | 1 per building | Face of building | — | § 253-184.3C(6) |

## Prohibited signs in Franklin Township

- Signs with a lighting arrangement which is more than necessary for the primary illumination of the sign, including exposed lighting intended to attract attention as well as illuminate the sign.
- Any portable sign.
- Any sign that violates any provision of the Uniform Construction Code.
- Any sign so located as to obscure all or any portion of a sign or traffic signal erected by a governmental authority.
- Any sign, except fire signs, erected, constructed or maintained so as to obstruct or be attached to any fire escape, window, door or opening used as a means of egress or ingress or for firefighting purposes, or placed so as to interfere with any opening for ventilation required by law.
- Any sign or illumination that causes any direct glare into or upon any road or any building, other than the building to which the sign may be related.
- Any sign or any part in motion by any means, including fluttering or rotating, except the hands of a clock or a weather vane.
- Any sign displaying flashing or intermittent lights, rotating beams, or lights of changing degrees of intensity or color, except signs indicating time, temperature, barometric pressure or air pollution index, and only when the sign does not constitute a public safety or traffic hazard.
- Any sign attached to a tree or rock, whether on public or private property, except official notices or announcements.
- Any sign attached to a public utility pole, whether on public or private property, except official notices or announcements.
- Any sign which by reason of its location, position, size, shape or color may obstruct, impair, obscure, confuse or interfere with any traffic control sign, signal or device; in particular, no sign shall use the words 'stop,' 'slow,' 'caution,' 'yield,' 'danger,' 'warning,' or 'go' when such sign may be confused with a traffic control sign.
- Any advertisement using a series of two or more signs or units placed in a line parallel to the highway or in similar fashion, all carrying a single advertising message, part of which is contained on each sign.
- Signs advertising any business or industry not conducted within the Township.
- Signs extending above the roofline.
- Outdoor advertising signs, such as billboards, except for Franklin Township welcome signs and affiliated logos.
- Pavement signs, except for identification of handicap parking stalls and fire zones and areas.
- Flags, except as listed under § 253-179B(5), pennants with or without words, copy balloons, kites or other similar devices.
- Signs located off the property which they advertise, except for existing nonconforming billboard signs.
- Homemade signs that are not professional in appearance and which detract from the neighborhood.
- Merchandise located outside so as to constitute a sign.
- No copy boards (illuminated or otherwise) are permitted within the Township (except as provided in § 253-184.2I); copy boards include manual and/or automatic changing text signs.
- No sign shall be erected containing information that states or implies that a property may be used for any purpose not permitted under the provisions of the zoning district.
- Every sign must be constructed of durable materials, kept in good repair, and not injurious to the public interest or endanger public safety or morals.

## Signs exempt from permit in Franklin Township

- The changing of the advertised copy or message on an approved painted or printed sign or billboard, a theater marquee, or similar approved signs specifically designed for replaceable copy.
- Painting, repainting, cleaning and other normal maintenance and repair of a conforming sign or sign structure, unless a structural change is made.
- Signs of a constituted governmental body, including traffic signs, signals, regulatory devices, legal devices, or warnings at railroad crossings.
- Memorial tablets or signs and historic markers, as approved by the Township Council.
- Signs required to be maintained on any lot or parcel by law or governmental order, rule or regulation, with a total surface area not exceeding 10 square feet.
- Signs within public recreation facilities, setting forth rules and regulations of play, hours of use, parking facilities, directional signs, scoreboards, park names, and sponsor signs.
- Flags, emblems or insignia of the United States, State of New Jersey, Gloucester County, other counties or states, religious groups, civic organizations, and service clubs. Each project is allowed up to three flags (one of each type listed); flagpoles not to exceed 35 feet in height and flags not larger than five feet by eight feet.
- Signs posting or displaying address numbers and occupant names, total area not to exceed two square feet.
- Signs for the direction or convenience of the public, including restrooms, public telephones, freight entrances, etc., total area not to exceed two square feet.
- Signs (maximum two square feet) placed by a public utility showing the location of underground facilities.
- Seasonal displays and decorations not advertising a product, service or entertainment, for a period not exceeding 45 days.
- Freestanding signs or signs attached to fences at approximate eye level, maximum four square feet, warning against hunting, fishing, trespassing, dangerous animals, swimming, or the like.
- Information or directional signs or historical markers erected by a public agency, including signs giving directions and distances to types of facilities (but not to specific businesses).
- Signs, each max two square feet, identifying parking for the handicapped, except when the logo is painted on a parking stall pavement.
- Parking lot markers, internal traffic control signs, and entrance and exit signs on the same premises to which they apply, each not exceeding three square feet.
- Nonresidential property building numbers not in excess of two square feet.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The Planning Board shall review and act on all new sign proposals, except where the Zoning Board of Adjustment has original jurisdiction. Applications to modify prior approved existing signs and to change a tenant sign within a project where a master sign plan has previously been approved by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment may be reviewed and approved directly by the Construction Official, provided that the requested changes comply with this article.
- If the building consists of a series of strip stores attached to each other, the owner shall submit a master sign program for the entire project. The master sign program shall show the proposed color combinations, location and size of all signs.
- Each shopping center may be permitted one freestanding sign for each major road fronting on the project. (Also, 'A master sign program shall be submitted, showing proposed color combinations, locations and sizes of all signs.' in § 253-184.1I.)
- For projects in the HC and PH-C Highway Commercial Districts: 'A master sign program shall be submitted showing color combinations, locations and sizes of all signs.'
- For all projects in the IC, LM, and PLM-I Districts: 'A master sign program shall be submitted for review and approval. The master sign program shall show the proposed color combinations, location and sizes of all signs.'
- Sign proposals may be subject to Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment review or approval.
- A Sign Review Board may be established to determine appropriateness of signs and to hear disputes relative to abuses.

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

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