# Sign Regulations in Montgomery Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Montgomery Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/montgomery-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/34950077#34950077)

## At a glance

Montgomery Township, New Jersey regulates 14 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Temporary Sign (Residential Zoning)s in the Residential Zoning Districts zoning district are capped at 3 ft mounting height tall and 6 sq ft, with a At least 10 ft from all side property lines setback (Sec. 16-5.13h1(e)). Most commercial signs in Montgomery Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SB District, HC District, REO District, LM District, PPE District | 3 | 8 feet | — | — |
| Residential Zoning Districts | 2 | 3 ft mounting height | 6 sq ft | — |
| Nonresidential Zoning Districts | 3 | 5 ft mounting height; campaign/plebiscite signs: 3 ft | 20 sq ft; campaign/plebiscite sign: 6 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | Bottom approx. 5 ft from pavement | 12 x 18 inches (1.5 sq ft), longer dimension vertical | — |

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

### Residential Zoning Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (Residential Zoning) | 3 ft mounting height | 6 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from all side property lines | One temporary sign per property | Out of street rights-of-way and easements, at least 10 ft from all side property lines | — | 16-5.13h1(e) |
| Nameplate Sign | — | Not exceeding 6 inches high x 18 inches long (0.75 sq ft) | 18 inches | — | One per lot | On the property | — | 16-5.13f6 |

### Nonresidential Zoning Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (Nonresidential Zoning) | 5 ft mounting height; campaign/plebiscite signs: 3 ft | 20 sq ft; campaign/plebiscite sign: 6 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from driveways, street right-of-way, and other property lines | One per property at a time | Out of all rights-of-way, 10 ft setback from driveways, street ROW, and other property lines | — | 16-5.13h1(f) |
| Temporary Interior Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Within window, visible from exterior | — | 16-5.13h2 |
| Temporary Construction Sign | 5 ft | 20 sq ft | — | At least 15 ft from street ROW and other property lines | One per property | On site, near entrance, out of any street or easement, minimum 15 ft setback from property lines and street ROW | — | 16-5.13h3 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No Parking, Fire Zone Sign | Bottom approx. 5 ft from pavement | 12 x 18 inches (1.5 sq ft), longer dimension vertical | 12 inches | — | — | Within established fire lanes, oriented to face all directions of traffic flow, max distance 50 ft between signs facing same direction | — | 3-11.6b |
| Handicapped Parking Space Sign | — | — | — | — | — | At each reserved handicapped parking space | — | 3-10.5 |
| No Smoking/Smoke-free Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Clearly, sufficiently and conspicuously posted in all applicable places | — | 3-18.5 |
| No Solicitation Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On property owned or legally occupied, visible to any peddler/solicitor | — | 4-1.13 |
| Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Warning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Prominently posted on premises of alcohol licensees | — | 6-4.3 |
| Traffic Signs, Historic Plaques, Street Signs, Directional, Nameplate, Warning Signs (General) | — | 2 sq ft (for direction/information/warning signs); 0.75 sq ft for one nameplate | — | — | One nameplate per lot | See type: nameplate on property, directional/traffic as per required site use | — | 16-5.13f |

## Prohibited signs in Montgomery Township

- No sign shall be erected, displayed, altered or replaced that is not in accordance with the standards established in the subsection.
- No sign shall be placed on or attached to a building or erected on a lot for any purpose unless specifically permitted herein.
- No freestanding sign shall be higher than eight feet and no attached sign shall be higher than 20 feet, measured to the top of the sign from the grade beneath the sign, except as otherwise set forth.
- No sign shall be located on a mound or berm unless specifically approved by the Planning or Zoning Board.
- No portion of any sign shall be located on, within or suspended over a public right-of-way or any Township-owned property, unless specifically approved by the Township Committee.
- No sign of any type shall be permitted in a sight triangle easement or permitted to obstruct driving vision, traffic signals, street signs, traffic directional and identification signs, other places of business, other signs or windows of the building on which they are located, or sight visibility at a driveway intersection with a street.
- Illuminated signs or exterior lights that illuminate signs shall be arranged in a manner to prevent any light or glare from shining or reflecting upon any street, sidewalk, or adjacent property and from creating any sky glow.
- If a sign is to be internally illuminated, at least 75% of the background around the letters and any logo on the sign shall be opaque and shall not be illuminated.
- If a sign is to be externally illuminated, then the lighting shall be provided either from below the sign by ground mounted lights or from above the sign by lights attached to the top of the sign. The lights shall be focused directly and completely onto the sign face, with shielding to prevent any sight of the light source from street, sidewalk, or neighboring property.
- No exterior light shall exceed 100 watts. The use of mercury vapor lighting is prohibited.
- Light emission from any sign lighting shall not exceed one foot candle at a distance of two feet from the sign surface.
- Unless otherwise permitted by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment, illuminated signs or the exterior lights that illuminate signs shall be turned off by the close of business of the use(s) advertised or identified on the sign or by 11:00 p.m., whichever is later.
- Nonconforming signs may not be enlarged, relocated, altered, rebuilt, extended or made less conforming.
- Failure to keep a sign in good repair for a period of 30 consecutive calendar days shall constitute abandonment, and such sign may not then be replaced or reused, but must be removed or be made conforming.
- The following specific signs are prohibited in all zoning districts:
- Animated, moving, fluttering, illusionary, or rotating signs, or signs using mechanical or electrical devices to revolve, flash or display movement, intermittent illumination or the illusion of movement.
- Signs that have any lighting or control mechanisms that cause radio, television or phone interference.
- Signs with red, green, blue or amber illumination in a beam, beacon or flashing form resembling an emergency light, safety or warning device or traffic signal.
- Billboard signs.
- Signs painted on a building wall, sidewalk or curb.
- Signs located on or above the roof of a building or extending above the top or beyond the ends of an awning, canopy, marquee, or mansard roof.
- Attached or suspended signs that are affixed to any tree, fence, or any electrical, telephone or other public utility pole.
- Portable signs, except as expressly permitted.
- Signs that advertise a product that is not the principal use of the subject property.
- Any permanent sign erected or applied in violation of this subsection must be removed within five business days after written notification; any temporary sign erected or applied in violation must be removed within two business days after notification.
- Noncompliance with any of the provisions shall constitute a violation and may result in fines.

## Signs exempt from permit in Montgomery Township

- The flag of a political or governmental jurisdiction is permitted in all zoning districts, provided it is displayed in accordance with established laws and customs.
- Permanent traffic signs, railroad crossing signs, danger signs, and temporary emergency or safety signs required for governmental or public utility employees to complete their official work are permitted in all zoning districts.
- Unlighted historic building plaques for buildings designated as historic are permitted in all zoning districts, provided they conform to applicable historic preservation ordinances.
- Street signs are permitted in all zoning districts, subject to location, design, and maintenance requirements as specified.
- Customary and typical street number designations, postal boxes, 'private property' signs, on-site directional signs, parking signs, warning signs, and other similar signs (not exceeding two square feet, not displaying advertising) are permitted in all zoning districts.
- One nameplate sign per lot, bearing the name and/or address of the principal occupant only and not exceeding six inches in height and 18 inches in length, is permitted.
- Signs permitted in all zoning districts under Section 16-5.13f do not require a sign or construction permit and are not considered in calculating total sign area otherwise permitted on the property.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Unless otherwise specifically noted, any sign in the Township requires a sign permit from the Township Zoning Officer prior to erection, re-erection, construction, placement, or location.
- Where a construction permit is required by State law, the Township Zoning Officer must review the sign application and plans for conformance prior to referral for a construction permit.
- All sign permit applications requiring a permit must be accompanied by plans including a scaled drawing (dimensions, type, materials, wording, artwork), proposed lighting details, supporting mechanisms, elevation drawing (for attached/suspended signs), site plans (for freestanding signs), and any other required information.
- The Township Zoning Officer shall promptly issue (or deny) the sign permit upon review of submitted plans, and no later than 10 days after filing if requirements are met.
- When a construction permit is required, the Construction Official issues the construction permit only after the sign permit is granted and all codes/fees are satisfied.
- For temporary signs in residential zoning districts: one temporary sign (≤6 sq ft, ≤3 ft height) is allowed without a sign permit (Section 16-5.13h1(e)(3)).
- For temporary signs in nonresidential zoning districts: a sign permit and $10 fee is required for temporary signs, except for signs six square feet or less in size; nonprofit organizations are exempt from the fee.
- Temporary interior window signs in nonresidential districts do not require a sign or construction permit.
- Temporary construction signs require a sign permit and fee.
- All permanent signs generally require Board approval as part of a development application or else must be approved through the normal permitting process.
- Variance, Planning Board, or Zoning Board approval is required for exceptions where specifically noted (e.g., mounting sign on a mound or berm, illuminated signs hours, street sign design).

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

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