# Sign Regulations in Mendham Borough, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Mendham Borough, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/mendham-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/6680631#6680631)

## At a glance

Mendham Borough, New Jersey regulates 19 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Portable Sign (Business Use)s in the Business zones zoning district are capped at 4 ft from grade tall, 6 sq ft (2 ft × 3 ft), and 3 ft wide (Sec. §215-8D(3)). Most commercial signs in Mendham Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential zones | 6 | 6 ft above grade | 25 sq ft | — |
| Business zones | 5 | 10 ft above grade | 25 sq ft | — |
| Main Street Corridor, Historic District Overlay Zone | 4 | 4 ft from grade | 6 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 7 ft from ground to bottom of sign | 216 sq in (12 in × 18 in) | — |

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

### Residential zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate and identification sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per dwelling unit plus mailbox | At or near dwelling unit | — | §215-8C(1), §215-8E(2)(a) |
| Real Estate Sign / On-site contractor / Civic Event / Political Sign | 4 ft from grade | 6 sq ft | — | — | 2 (any combination of allowed types) | Ground-mounted only | — | §215-8C(2), §215-8E(2)(b-d) |
| Civic Event Sign (Portable) | 4 ft above grade | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot, max 10 per event in residential zones | Ground-mounted; one per lot | — | §215-8C(2)(f) |
| Development Sale Sign | — | 25 sq ft | — | — | 1 per development | — | — | §215-8C(3) |
| Institutional Sign (Freestanding) | 6 ft above grade | 25 sq ft (Main sign), 12 sq ft (bulletin board) | — | — | 2 per institution (1 main, 1 bulletin board) | On premises containing the principal institutional use | — | §215-8C(4) |
| Off-premises Open House Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §215-8C(5) |

### Business zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 10 ft above grade | 25 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | On site/lot | — | §215-8D(1) |
| Wall Sign (and Permanent Window Sign) | — | — | — | — | — | On exterior wall or window surface | — | §215-8D(2) |
| Portable Sign (Business Use) | 4 ft from grade | 6 sq ft (2 ft × 3 ft) | 3 ft | — | 1 per lot | Not in parking spaces, traffic aisles, pedestrian walkways, or between street/sidewalk | — | §215-8D(3) |
| Civic Event Sign (Portable) | 4 ft from grade | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §215-8D(4)(a) |
| Civic Event Sign (Temporary Noncommercial Window Sign) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business | Window | — | §215-8D(4)(b) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directional Sign | — | <4 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §215-8E(11) |
| Temporary Emergency No-Parking/Emergency Signs | — | — | — | — | — | Streets/sections of streets during emergencies | — | §206-21 |
| Traffic and Regulatory Signs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §206-76 |
| Fire Lane Sign | 7 ft from ground to bottom of sign | 216 sq in (12 in × 18 in) | — | — | — | Fire lanes: wall or post-mounted, at 100 ft intervals and at direction changes. | — | §106-16(A) |
| No Smoking Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Conspicuously posted where smoking is prohibited by law | — | §175-2(B) |
| Street Name Sign / Guide Post | — | — | — | — | — | All streets and roads | — | §187-2 |

## Prohibited signs in Mendham Borough

- Billboards are prohibited in all zone districts.
- Neon lighting is prohibited in all zone districts.
- Electronic message boards are prohibited in all zone districts.
- LED and LCD signs are prohibited in all zone districts.
- Roof signs are prohibited in all zone districts.
- No moving or apparently moving signs shall be permitted.
- No signs which use reflective material shall be permitted.
- No sign shall have its light source from within the sign.
- No exposed neon tubing or signs utilizing light-emitting diodes (LED) or liquid crystal display (LCD) technology shall be permitted.
- No wall sign shall project more than eight inches beyond the building wall to which it is affixed.
- No sign shall be above the top or beyond the ends of the wall surface upon which it is placed.
- Signs, whether portable, permanent or temporary, other than Borough, county, state signs or signs to alert the general public to an emergency situation or pertaining to work in progress within or proximate to the travelled way, shall not be erected within the right-of-way of any street or approved sight easement, nor shall any sign be located so as to constitute a traffic hazard nor in a manner to cause any pedestrian or vehicular traffic obstruction.
- Signs shall not be affixed to any telephone or utility company pole, stanchion or appurtenance within Mendham Borough.
- Signs, including placards, flyers, ribbons, balloons and like medium, shall not be affixed to any tree situate within the public right-of-way within Mendham Borough without the express written consent of the Borough Council.

## Signs exempt from permit in Mendham Borough

- Directional signs having a sign area of less than four square feet are exempt from sign allowance, area and location regulations, provided that they do not constitute a hazard to the public; they must be included in the signing plan for developments requiring site plan approval.
- A sign permit is not required for nameplate and identification signs.
- A sign permit is not required for real estate signs.
- A sign permit is not required for on-site contractor's signs.
- A sign permit is not required for political signs.
- A sign permit is not required for civic event signs which qualify as a 'window sign, temporary, noncommercial' as defined in the ordinance.
- Signs placed upon a property by an agency of the State of New Jersey or a federal agency are exempt from certain restrictions.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Each site plan application shall include a sign plan showing the specific design, location, size, construction and illumination in accordance with the Borough Sign Ordinance. If the applicant is unable to provide said details for signs, the approving authority shall condition its approval upon receipt of the same prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
- Signs requiring site plan approval: A sign plan shall be submitted to the Planning Board or, where applicable, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, for approval. The sign plan shall be consistent with the architecture and materials of the principal structure and landscaping plan and shall be consistent with and not substantially different from the existing neighborhood pattern.
- Directional signs (less than 4 square feet) are to be included in the signing plan for those developments requiring site plan approval.
- All freestanding permanent signs, window signs and wall signs erected, altered or reconstructed within the Main Street Corridor or the Historic District Overlay Zone (excluding signs classified as 'window sign, temporary, noncommercial' and those exempt from a permit) shall be subject to review by the Design Review Committee or the Historic Preservation Review Commission.

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

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