# Sign Regulations in Lafayette Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Lafayette Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/lafayette-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/35474031#35474031)

## At a glance

Lafayette Township, New Jersey regulates 29 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Real Estate Sign (Subdivision or Site Plan)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 24 sq ft, with a 20 ft from street line setback (Sec. 13-17.10a2). Most commercial signs in Lafayette 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 | 8 | 10 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| R-5, R-4, R-2.5, VR, AH-1 | 10 | 6 ft | 18 sq ft | — |
| Highway Commercial (HC), Light Industrial (LI), Village commercial (VC) | 11 | 10% of wall height (minimum 2 feet) | 37.5 sq ft or 5 sq ft per tenant, whichever is less | — |
| Gateway Commercial District | 1 | — | — | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign (Single Residential Lot) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot; 2 if on corner lot | On a single residential lot; one per lot, two if on a corner lot (one per street) | — | 13-17.10a1 |
| Real Estate Sign (Subdivision or Site Plan) | — | 24 sq ft | — | 20 ft from street line | 1 per entrance | At each entrance to subdivision or site; must be at least 20 feet from any street line | — | 13-17.10a2 |
| Real Estate Sign (Commercial/Industrial Building or Land) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street front | 1 per street front | — | 13-17.10a3 |
| Real Estate Sign (Open House) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 additional per property | — | — | 13-17.10a4 |
| Public/Nonprofit Event Sign | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | 4 per event per lot | — | — | 13-17.10e |
| Political Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 4 per lot | — | — | 13-17.10f |
| Construction Sign | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 per principal entrance | At principal entrance to lot | — | 13-17.10g |
| General Measurement Rule (Freestanding Signs) | 10 ft | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13-17.11 |

### R-5, R-4, R-2.5, VR, AH-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | See General Regulations For All Zones: Real Estate Sign (Single Residential Lot), (Subdivision or Site Plan) | — | — | — | — | — | 13-17.12a; see 13-17.10a |
| Street Address/Nameplate Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | 13-17.12d |
| Farm Identification Sign | — | 18 sq ft | — | — | 1 per farm | Identifying farm, address, and type | — | 13-17.12e1 |
| On-site Agricultural Product Signs | — | 16 sq ft per sign | — | — | 2 per farm | On property where products are sold | — | 13-17.12e2 |
| Cluster Development Name Sign | — | 18 sq ft | — | — | 1 per cluster development | — | — | 13-17.12f |
| Freestanding Sign (Professional/Home Occupation) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | 13-17.12g |
| Wall Sign (Professional/Home Occupation) | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | 13-17.12g |
| Residential Zone Freestanding Front Yard Sign | 6 ft | — | — | 10 ft from street line | — | Front yard | — | 13-17.12h |

### Highway Commercial (HC), Light Industrial (LI), Village commercial (VC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Sign (Wall, Projecting, Awning, Canopy, etc) | — | 30 sq ft (max per sign); 62.5 sq ft (total on lot) | — | — | — | On business property | — | 13-17.13b |
| Wall Sign | 10% of wall height (minimum 2 feet) | — | 50% of width of wall or 12 ft, whichever is less | — | 1 per facade per use | On building wall | — | 13-17.13d, 13-17.13f |
| Freestanding Sign | 10 ft | 37.5 sq ft or 5 sq ft per tenant, whichever is less | — | — | 1 per lot; 1 per road frontage for shopping centers/industrial parks | Each lot; shopping center/industrial park: one per road frontage | — | 13-17.13g; 13-17.11 (max height); 13-17.13c (shopping centers) |
| Window Sign (Open) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business | Inside window of business | — | 13-17.13h |
| Special Promotion, Event, and Grand Opening Sign | — | 24 sq ft (total) | — | — | 1 per street front | 1 per street front | — | 13-17.10b |
| Temporary Holiday Season Sign | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property, 1 per tenant in shopping center | 1 per property | — | 13-17.10c |
| Special Award of Distinction or Recognition Sign | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | 1 per tenant | One per tenant per property | — | 13-17.10d |
| A-frame Sign | — | 6 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per lot (or 1 per business if multi-businesses) | Within 5 feet of main business entrance | — | 13-17.10h |

## Prohibited signs in Lafayette Township

- No signs shall be attached to any utility pole, public light standard or any other public facility located within the public right-of-way.
- Temporary signs, except as permitted for in Subsection 13-17.10.
- Moving or revolving signs and signs using waving, blinking, flashing, vibrating, flickering and/or sequential lighting.
- Roof signs.
- Signs causing interference with radio or television reception.
- Signs obstructing doors, fire escapes or stairways or keeping light or air from windows used for living quarters.
- Signs placed on awnings, fences or signs attached to other signs.
- Signs shall not be painted on or affixed to water towers, storage tanks, silos, smokestacks or similar structures or to trees, rocks or other natural things.
- The use and display of strings or streamers of flags, pennants, banners (except if a permit is approved and obtained for special promotions, events and grand openings), balloons, spotlights or spinners or similar objects and devices across, upon, over or along any premises or building, whether as a part of any sign or for advertising or public attraction or otherwise, are prohibited in any zone; provided, however, that this provision shall not apply to decorations customarily used for holiday display or Township celebration.
- Advertising display signs attached to vehicles with the exception of temporary signs as provided in Subsection 13-17.10 unless required by law.
- Neon signs, with the exception of one sign designating the business as "open," as provided for in Subsection 13-17.13h.
- All billboards and all signs or advertising devices not expressly related to the business being conducted on the premises.
- LED signs, with the exception of one sign designating the business as "open" as provided for in Subsection 13-17.13h and energy efficient LED technology lighting on the petroleum price display portion of a sign relating to a motor vehicle fueling station per Subsection 13-14.1f.

## Signs exempt from permit in Lafayette Township

- Official signs or official notices authorized by a court, public body or public safety official.
- Directional, warning or information signs authorized by Federal, State or municipal governments.
- Memorial plaques and building cornerstones not exceeding six square feet in area.
- The flag of a government or noncommercial institution such as a school, and one flag per lot, a maximum of five square feet in area, with such sign's copy limited to designating the business or that it is open.
- Religious symbols and seasonal decorations within the appropriate public holiday season.
- Works of fine art displayed in conjunction with a commercial enterprise where the enterprise does not receive direct commercial gain.
- Street address signs and combination nameplate and street address signs that contain no advertising copy and which do not exceed two square feet in area (no more than one per lot, may be reasonably illuminated).
- Signs approved and/or required by the Farmland Preservation Program designating the property as an approved preserved farm.
- No Hunting, No Fishing, No Trespassing and Garage Sale signs provided that each sign shall be a maximum of four square feet in area.
- Political signs, subject to Subsection 13-17.10e.
- A-frame signs, subject to Subsection 13-17.10g.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All sign permits must be obtained as required in § 13-17 prior to the erection or alteration of any sign (§ 13-18.7).
- No sign shall be structurally altered, enlarged or relocated except in conformity to the provisions herein, nor until a proper permit, if required, has been secured (§ 13-17.6).
- Special promotion, event, grand opening, temporary holiday season, and special award distinction signs require a proper permit before erection, as specified in respective subsections of 13-17.10.
- Signage in various zones refers back to general sign regulations in § 13-17.
- There is no indication in the provided text of a required master sign plan or sign plan submission for general sign permitting; the ordinance requires sign permits prior to erection or alteration.

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

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