# Sign Regulations in Merchantville Borough, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Merchantville Borough, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/merchantville-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/34647841#34647841)

## At a glance

Merchantville Borough, New Jersey regulates 21 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the B-1 District, B-2 District zoning district are capped at 10 ft tall and 25 sq ft, with a Minimum 2 ft from sidewalk setback (Sec. § 94-57C(4)(a)-(c)). Most commercial signs in Merchantville Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 5 ft (if 18 sq ft or less); 10 ft (if over 18 sq ft) | 18 sq ft or less: 5 ft max height; Over 18 sq ft: 10 ft max height | — |
| Residential District (R-1) | 10 | — | 18 sq ft per frontage (total for both signs) | — |
| B-1 District, B-2 District | 9 | 18 ft above ground elevation | 25 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 5 ft (if 18 sq ft or less); 10 ft (if over 18 sq ft) | 18 sq ft or less: 5 ft max height; Over 18 sq ft: 10 ft max height | — | — | — | — | — | § 94-55(A), (F) |
| Identification Sign (Schools, Churches, Municipal Buildings, Similar Uses) | — | 12 sq ft per side | — | — | One per street frontage | — | — | § 94-55(B) |

### Residential District (R-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Sign (Single-Family Dwelling) | — | 3 sq ft | — | Not within 2 ft of back edge of sidewalk | One per property | On the grounds of the dwelling | — | § 94-56(A)(1) |
| Professional Sign (Wall Sign, Multiple Dwelling or Professional Office Use) | — | 1.5 sq ft | — | — | One per property | Affixed to wall | — | § 94-56(A)(2) |
| Sign Appertaining to Multiple Dwelling | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | One | — | — | § 94-56(A)(3) |
| Real Estate Sign (For Sale or Rental) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per street frontage | On building or lot being advertised. If property fronts on more than one street, one per frontage. | — | § 94-56(A)(4) |
| Institution Sign (church, convalescent/nursing home, school, or similar) | — | 18 sq ft per frontage (total for both signs) | — | — | 2 per street frontage | Per street frontage | — | § 94-56(A)(7) |
| Civic/Service Organization or Club Sign | — | 12 sq ft per frontage | — | — | One per street frontage | Per street frontage | — | § 94-56(A)(8) |
| Residential Identification Sign | — | 1.5 sq ft | — | — | One | Attached to the dwelling, mailbox, post, or lamp post | — | § 94-56(A)(9) |
| Historical Identification Sign | — | 1.5 sq ft | — | — | One | On historic structure or site | — | § 94-56(A)(10) |

### B-1 District, B-2 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Overhanging Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per principal street/ground floor use | Perpendicular to building face, extending up to 3 ft from building; bottom at least 9 ft above ground; allowed to extend beyond front lot line | — | § 94-57C(1)(a)-(c) |
| Building Face Sign | 18 ft above ground elevation | — | — | — | — | Painted, applied, or fastened to building face (main for ground floors, next to entrance for upper/lower floors); awnings on flap, at least 7.5 ft above ground | — | § 94-57B(2)(b), 94-57C(2), (d) |
| Window and Door-Glass Sign (Ground Floor Use) | — | — | — | — | One per street frontage | On fixed, nonoperable window panes or on door glass | — | § 94-57C(3)(a)-(b) |
| Window and Door-Glass Sign (Above Ground Floor Use) | — | — | — | — | One per street frontage | — | — | § 94-57C(3)(b) |
| Freestanding Sign | 10 ft | 25 sq ft | — | Minimum 2 ft from sidewalk | One per building | Permanently attached to ground; only allowed where building is at least 30 ft from street frontage; must be on land owned/leased by user | — | § 94-57C(4)(a)-(c) |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Within window area of ground floor use; bottom area of window | — | § 94-57C(5) |
| Directional Sign | — | Less than 3 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 94-57B(2)(b) |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On property being advertised only | — | § 94-57B(2)(k) |

## Prohibited signs in Merchantville Borough

- Any sign that is not expressly permitted by the ordinance or regulation of the Borough of Merchantville shall be prohibited.
- No sign shall be placed in such a position that it may cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring vision.
- All signs in any district shall comply with all provisions and requirements of the Building Code of the Borough of Merchantville and its amendments or supplements governing same, including the wind-load requirements.
- Illumination of signs: Signs with internal illumination are not allowed. Only external illumination of signs by incandescent flood lamps is allowed.
- Colored, flashing, blinking, twinkling, internally lit, animated or moving signs of any type or signs which present an illusion of movement are prohibited.
- Exposed-tube neon signs are prohibited (unless reflecting the period of an historically significant building, subject to further restrictions).
- No sign shall be erected or maintained on a lot, tract or parcel, including any improvement thereon, unless the message on the sign directly relates to the use of said lot, tract or parcel.
- Flags, banners, strings of banners, pennants, pinwheels, A-type signs, sidewalk signs, curb signs and similar advertising devices and search lights, balloons or other gas-filled figures are prohibited.
- Portable signs are prohibited.
- No sign shall be placed in such a position that it causes or is likely to cause danger to vehicular or pedestrian traffic on any street, sidewalk or right-of-way.
- No sign other than an official sign may be placed within the right-of-way of any street within the borough.
- No sign shall be attached, affixed or painted on trees, fences, rocks, curbs, walks, hydrants or benches, except for warning signs such as 'No trespassing.' No sign of any type shall be attached to utility poles.
- No billboards, billboard-type signs or rooftop signs shall be erected or maintained on any lot or in any location within the borough.
- No vehicle shall be regularly parked, stopped or located in such a manner as to be used as or considered as a sign.

## Signs exempt from permit in Merchantville Borough

- Signs necessary to public welfare, posted or erected by public authority, or advertisements required by law are not intended to be regulated by this chapter.
- No sign permit required for: Commercial informational signs.
- No sign permit required for: Legal nonconforming signs.
- No sign permit required for: Official signs.
- No sign permit required for: Political signs.
- No sign permit required for: Residential signs.
- No sign permit required for: Temporary signs.
- No sign permit required for: Temporary interior advertising signs.
- No sign permit required for: A-frame signs.
- No sign permit required for: Bill-of-fare signs and/or menus.
- No sign permit required for: Flags.
- No sign permit required for: Signs relettered on the same signboard using the same colors and fonts.
- No sign permit required for: Any mobile sign, except that a business may have one A-frame sign immediately adjacent to its property unless the business faces multiple streets, in which case the business may have one A-frame sign per adjoining street.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- When continuous display of temporary signs is desired in a business window, the temporary sign display area must be identified within a designated window. If temporary signs are displayed continuously without designation or without borough review and approval of such a display area, application to the borough is required for designation of a display area.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Merchantville Borough, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Merchantville+Borough+NJ&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-merchantville-borough

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