# Sign Regulations in Montgomery, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Montgomery, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/montgomery
- **Data last verified:** 2026-01-29
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/34980862)

## At a glance

Montgomery, New Jersey regulates 73 sign types across 14 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Principal Building Not Part of Neighborhood Shopping Village)s in the NC Neighborhood Commercial zoning district are capped at 8 ft tall and 20 sq ft, with a ≥10 ft from any street right-of-way line; ≥15 ft from any other property line setback (Sec. §16-4.5j1(a); §16-4.5j5–j6; §16-5.13d). Most commercial signs in Montgomery require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (14 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MR Mountain Residential, R-5 Single Family Residential, R-2 Single Family Residential, R-1 Single Family Residential, R Single Family Residential, VN Village Neighborhood | 4 | 8 ft | 25 sq ft | — |
| APT/TH Multiple-Family Residential | 4 | 6 ft | 25 sq ft | — |
| NC Neighborhood Commercial | 15 | ≤20 ft above grade (general attached sign height limit) | 30 sq ft | — |
| REO-1 Research, Engineering and Office; REO-2 Research, Engineering and Office; REO-3 Research, Engineering and Office | 9 | ≤20 ft | 50 sq ft | — |
| MR/SI Mountain Residential/Special Industrial | 5 | ≤20 ft | 50 sq ft | — |
| LM Limited Manufacturing | 6 | ≤20 ft | 50 sq ft | — |
| SB Small Business | 8 | ≤20 ft | 30 sq ft | — |
| PPE Public Parks and Education District | 8 | 8 ft | 25 sq ft | — |
| CC-1 Community Commercial; CC-2 Community Commercial | 7 | ≤20 ft | 25 sq ft | — |
| HC Highway Commercial | 9 | ≤20 ft | Up to 75 sq ft, but not more than 5% of front facade area | — |
| ARH Age-Restricted Housing District | 10 | ≤20 ft | 40 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 11 | ≤20 ft above grade | ≤50% of total window area of the window where located | — |
| MR Mountain Residential, R-5 Single Family Residential, R-2 Single Family Residential, R-1 Single Family Residential, R Single Family Residential | 5 | 8 ft | 25 sq ft | — |
| VN Village Neighborhood | 4 | 8 ft | 25 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 14 zones)

### NC Neighborhood Commercial

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Principal Building Not Part of Neighborhood Shopping Village) | 8 ft | 20 sq ft | — | ≥10 ft from any street right-of-way line; ≥15 ft from any other property line | 1 per principal building (not part of neighborhood shopping village) | Freestanding on same lot as principal building; may be in required front yard but outside required setbacks from ROW/property lines | — | §16-4.5j1(a); §16-4.5j5–j6; §16-5.13d |
| Attached Wall Sign (Principal First Floor Use with Direct Outside Access) | ≤20 ft above grade (general attached sign height limit) | 25 sq ft per sign; 50 sq ft combined on one facade | — | — | 1 per principal first-floor use per street frontage, subject to facade total cap | Attached flat against building at or directly above entrance to individual first-floor use with direct outdoor access | — | §16-4.5j1(b); §16-4.5j4–j6; §16-5.13d |
| Attached Wall Sign (Corner Lot Additional Sign) | ≤20 ft | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 additional attached sign for corner-lot principal use | Attached to facade facing additional street on corner lot | — | §16-4.5j1(c); §16-4.5j4–j6 |
| Attached Wall Sign (Second Floor Principal Use Facing and Having Direct Outside Access) | ≤20 ft | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per qualifying second-floor principal use | At entrance to second-floor principal use facing and having direct outside access | — | §16-4.5j1(d); §16-4.5j4–j6 |
| Freestanding Sign (Neighborhood Shopping Village Identification) | 8 ft | 30 sq ft | — | ≥10 ft from any street right-of-way line; ≥25 ft from any other property line | 1 per neighborhood shopping village | Freestanding on lot developed as a neighborhood shopping village | — | §16-4.5j2; §16-4.5j4–j6 |
| Temporary Signs (NC) | External: 5 ft; Campaign: 3 ft | External: 20 sq ft; Window temporary: up to 50% of window area; Campaign: 6 sq ft | — | External temporary: ≥10 ft from driveways, street ROW, and other property lines | 1 external temporary sign per lot at a time, plus allowed temporary window signs and campaign signs | On lot in NC; outside ROW, easements, and sight triangles | — | §16-4.5b4; §16-4.5j8; §16-5.13h1–2 |
| Freestanding Sign (Principal Building Not Part of Neighborhood Shopping Village) | 8 ft | 20 sq ft | — | ≥10 ft from any street right-of-way; ≥15 ft from any other property line | 1 per principal building (non-village) | Freestanding on lot with principal building, outside setbacks | — | §16-4.5j1(a); §16-4.5j4–j6 |
| Freestanding Sign (Neighborhood Shopping Village Identification) | 8 ft | 30 sq ft | — | ≥10 ft from any street right-of-way; ≥25 ft from any other property line | 1 per neighborhood shopping village | Freestanding on lot developed as neighborhood shopping village | — | §16-4.5j2 |

### REO-1 Research, Engineering and Office; REO-2 Research, Engineering and Office; REO-3 Research, Engineering and Office

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Principal Building) | 8 ft | 40 sq ft | — | ≥15 ft from any street right-of-way line; ≥25 ft from any other property line | 1 per abutting road with ≥250 ft unbroken frontage | Freestanding along each road which the property abuts, where there is at least 250 ft of unbroken frontage | — | §16-4.6h1(a); §16-5.13d |
| Attached Wall Sign (Principal Use with Direct Outside Access) | ≤20 ft | 50 sq ft | — | — | 1 per principal use with direct outside access | Attached flat against building for each principal use with direct outside access | — | §16-4.6h1(b); §16-5.13d |
| Freestanding Sign (Subdivided Development Park Identification) | 8 ft | 50 sq ft | — | ≥15 ft from any street right-of-way line and driveways; ≥25 ft from any other property line | 1 per qualifying arterial/collector road | Freestanding along each abutting arterial or collector road that provides vehicular access to the subdivided development park, with ≥250 ft unbroken frontage | — | §16-4.6h2 |
| Directory Sign (Internal to Site) | 8 ft | 20 sq ft | — | ≥60 ft from any street right-of-way or property line | 1 per multi-tenant building or per building on a single lot or in a subdivided development park | Within internal circulation system of subdivided development park or multi-tenant/single-lot building; not near perimeter | — | §16-4.6h3 |
| Temporary Signs (REO Districts) | 5 ft for external temporary | External: 20 sq ft (nonresidential); Window temporary: up to 50% of window area | — | External temporary: ≥10 ft from driveways, street ROW and other property lines | 1 external temporary sign per lot at a time | On subject lot; outside ROW and sight triangles | — | §16-4.6b3; §16-4.6h4; §16-5.13h |
| Freestanding Sign (Principal Building) | 8 ft | 40 sq ft | — | ≥15 ft from any street right-of-way line; ≥25 ft from any other property line | 1 per qualifying road per principal building | Freestanding along each road which the property abuts, with at least 250 ft of unbroken frontage | — | §16-4.6h1(a) |
| Directory Sign (Internal Circulation System) | 8 ft | 20 sq ft | — | At least 60 ft from any street right-of-way or property line | 1 per multi-tenant building or per building in park | Within internal circulation system of multi-tenant building or subdivided development park | — | §16-4.6h3 |
| Temporary Signs (REO) | 5 ft | External: 20 sq ft; window temporary: ≤50% of window area | — | ≥10 ft from ROW, driveways and property lines | 1 external temporary sign per lot at a time | On lot in REO districts; outside ROW/easements/sight triangles | — | §16-4.6b3; §16-4.6h4; §16-5.13h |

### ARH Age-Restricted Housing District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Mixed-Use Age-Restricted Housing Development Identification) | 6 ft | 40 sq ft | — | ≥10 ft from any street right-of-way line; ≥20 ft from any other property line | 1 per mixed-use age-restricted housing development | Ground-mounted freestanding sign identifying name of mixed-use age-restricted housing development, likely at main entrance | — | §16-4.13j1; §16-4.13j5; §16-5.13d |
| Freestanding Sign (Professional Office Complex Entrance) | 6 ft | 30 sq ft | — | ≥10 ft from any street right-of-way line; ≥20 ft from any other property line | 1 per lot containing professional office complex | Ground-mounted at entrance of lot containing professional office complex | — | §16-4.13j2; §16-4.13j5 |
| Freestanding Sign (Assisted Living Facility Entrance) | 6 ft | 30 sq ft | — | ≥10 ft from any street right-of-way line; ≥20 ft from any other property line | 1 per assisted living facility lot | Ground-mounted at entrance of lot containing assisted living facility | — | §16-4.13j2; §16-4.13j5 |
| Attached Wall Sign (Professional Office Building) | ≤20 ft | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per professional office building | On facade of each professional office building | — | §16-4.13j3 |
| Attached Wall Sign (Assisted Living Facility) | ≤20 ft | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per assisted living facility | On facade of assisted living facility building | — | §16-4.13j3 |
| Temporary Signs (ARH) | 5 ft external nonresidential; 3 ft residential | External: 20 sq ft for nonresidential; 6 sq ft for residential; window temporary: up to 50% of window area | — | Residential: ≥10 ft from side lot lines; Nonresidential: ≥10 ft from ROW, driveways and property lines | 1 external temporary sign per lot at a time | On ARH lots; not in ROW or sight triangles | — | §16-4.13b7 (signs by cross-reference to §16-5.13); §16-4.13j7–j8; §16-5.13h |
| Freestanding Sign (Mixed-Use Age-Restricted Housing Development Identification) | 6 ft | 40 sq ft | — | ≥10 ft from any street right-of-way; ≥20 ft from any other property line | 1 per mixed-use ARH development | Ground-mounted freestanding sign at main entrance identifying name of mixed-use ARH development | — | §16-4.13j1; §16-4.13j5 |
| Temporary Signs (ARH) | 3 ft on residential lots; 5 ft on nonresidential ARH lots | For individual residential lots: 6 sq ft; for office/assisted living lots: 20 sq ft external temporary; window temp: ≤50% window area | — | Residential: ≥10 ft from side lines; Nonresidential: ≥10 ft from ROW, driveways, and property lines | 1 external temporary sign per lot at a time | On ARH lots; not in ROW or sight triangles | — | §16-4.13b7; §16-4.13j7–j8; §16-5.13h |

## Prohibited signs in Montgomery

- No sign shall be erected, displayed, altered or replaced that is not in accordance with §16‑5.13; no sign shall be placed on or attached to a building or erected on a lot for any purpose unless specifically permitted.
- Attached signs must be firmly attached to the exterior wall, may project no more than six inches, must be in the architectural sign band if provided, and are prohibited on roofs, dormers, and second‑story wall areas or windows except in SB, HC, REO, LM and PPE Districts where only one use occupies all floors of that building portion.
- Freestanding signs must be supported by columns or uprights firmly imbedded in the ground; exposed guy wires, chains or other connections are not permitted as supports.
- Suspended signs must be securely hung from a building wall, awning, canopy, marquee or roof overhang, and must have at least eight feet of clearance to finished grade.
- No freestanding sign may be higher than eight feet and no attached sign may be higher than 20 feet, measured to the top of the sign from grade, and no sign may exceed any lesser, zone‑specific height limit. Signs may not be placed on mounds or berms unless specifically approved by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment.
- No sign or any portion of a sign may be located on, within, or suspended over a public right‑of‑way or Township‑owned property unless specifically approved by the Township Committee.
- No sign is permitted in a sight triangle easement or in any location that obstructs driving vision, traffic signals, street signs, traffic directional and identification signs, other places of business, other signs, or building windows.
- Illuminated signs, whether internally or externally lit, must be arranged to prevent any light or glare from shining or reflecting upon any street, sidewalk or adjacent property and from creating sky glow.
- For internally illuminated signs, at least 75% of the background around letters and any logo must be opaque and not illuminated; dark opaque backgrounds with light lettering backlit are preferred.
- For externally illuminated signs, lighting must be from above or below and focused completely onto the sign face, with shielding to prevent sight of the light source from any street, sidewalk or neighboring property; exterior lights may not exceed 100 watts and mercury vapor lighting is prohibited.
- Light emission from sign lighting may not exceed one foot‑candle at a distance of two feet from the sign surface.
- Unless otherwise permitted by a Board, illuminated signs or exterior sign lighting must be turned off by the close of business of the use 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; if removed for wall maintenance and not reinstalled in the same location within 60 days, they must be brought into conformity.
- Sign area must be measured around the edges of a framed/enclosed sign or as a tight rectangle around isolated words and symbols; supporting framework and bracing are excluded from area.
- For flat signs or v‑shaped signs with less than a 30° angle, only one face counts toward sign area, even if both sides are used.
- Interior window signs permanently or semi‑permanently affixed to or directly behind a window and visible from outside count toward sign area, unless total window signage is two square feet or less in aggregate or the sign is a qualifying temporary window sign under §16‑5.13h6.
- No more than 25% of any sign face may consist of a logo, symbol, design, or picture; the remainder must be words, numbers, and/or background only.
- All freestanding signs must display the street number of the property, except where clearly and legibly displayed elsewhere on site or for shopping centers/complexes.
- Animated, moving, fluttering, rotating, illusionary, flashing or intermittently illuminated signs, or signs using mechanical/electrical devices to create such effects, are prohibited.
- Signs with lighting or controls that cause radio, television or phone interference are prohibited.
- Signs with red, green, blue or amber illumination in a beam, beacon, or flashing form resembling emergency lights, safety devices, or traffic signals are prohibited.
- Billboards are prohibited.
- Signs painted on building walls, sidewalks, or curbs are prohibited.
- Signs located on or above roofs, or extending above the top or beyond the ends of an awning, canopy, marquee, or mansard roof, are prohibited.
- Attached or suspended signs on trees, fences, or utility poles are prohibited.
- Portable signs are prohibited except where expressly allowed under the temporary sign provisions.
- Signs advertising a product that is not the principal use of the property are prohibited.
- All signs and their supports must be of substantial, sturdy construction, with durable materials, and kept painted/clean as needed; failure to keep a sign in good repair for 30 consecutive days constitutes abandonment and the sign must then be removed or brought into conformity.
- Any sign deemed dangerous or unsafe must be repaired or removed within the time set by written notice from the Zoning Officer or Construction Official; signs posing immediate peril may be summarily removed by the Township.
- Any permanent sign erected or applied in violation must be removed or corrected within five business days of written notice (two business days for temporary signs) or the Township may remove/alter the sign at the owner’s expense.
- The Zoning Officer may immediately remove any sign illegally placed in a street right‑of‑way or sight triangle that impairs public safety.
- Noncompliance with §16‑5.13 is a violation subject to fines under §16‑10.6a, with each day of violation constituting a separate offense.

## Signs exempt from permit in Montgomery

- Flags of political or governmental jurisdictions are permitted in all zoning districts, provided they are displayed in accordance with applicable laws and customs; no sign or construction permit is required and they are not counted toward total permitted sign area.
- Permanent traffic signs, railroad crossing signs, danger signs, and temporary emergency or safety signs required for governmental or public utility employees in the performance of official work are permitted in all zoning districts without permits and are not counted toward sign area.
- Unlighted historic building plaques for buildings designated as historic are permitted, provided they comply with applicable historic preservation ordinances; they require no sign permit and are not counted toward sign area.
- Standard street name signs installed in accordance with Township requirements (location, design, visibility, uniform size/color) are permitted without sign permits and are not counted toward sign area; if alternative designs are approved as part of development, maintenance must be by an entity other than the Township.
- Customary information, direction and warning signs (e.g., street numbers, postal boxes, 'private property', on‑site directional signs, parking signs, warning signs) that do not exceed two square feet in area and display no advertising are permitted in all zoning districts without sign permits and are not counted toward sign area.
- One non‑illuminated nameplate sign per lot, bearing only the name and/or address of the principal occupant and not exceeding six inches by 18 inches, is permitted without a sign permit and is not counted toward sign area.
- In residential districts, one temporary sign per lot (up to six square feet and three feet high), plus during an election period one temporary campaign sign per candidate, party, and issue, is permitted without a sign permit, subject to location, duration, and setback limits.
- In nonresidential districts, temporary interior window signs are permitted if they do not exceed 50% of the window area in which they appear and are displayed no more than 30 days; they do not require a permit and are not counted toward allowed sign area or temporary sign count.
- In nonresidential districts, temporary external signs six square feet or less do not require a sign permit (though larger temporary signs do); nonprofit organizations are exempt from the temporary sign permit fee.
- Temporary signs listed as permitted under §16‑5.13h (including qualifying seasonal agricultural signs, campaign signs, temporary real estate signs, and temporary construction signs), when meeting all conditions in that subsection, are allowed by right; where specified, some do not require a sign permit and are not included in calculating permanent sign allowances.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit from the Township Zoning Officer is required for any sign unless the sign is specifically exempted in §16‑5.13; where a construction permit is required by State law, the Zoning Officer must first approve the sign for zoning compliance before the Construction Official issues the construction permit.
- For any sign that has been approved as part of a subdivision or site plan by the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Zoning Officer must issue the sign permit in accordance with that approved plan, effectively binding sign installations to the approved site plan signage.
- All non‑Board‑approved signs requiring a permit must submit a detailed sign plan to the Zoning Officer, including scaled drawings of the sign, materials, wording, artwork, lighting details, mounting/support details, and, for attached signs, an elevation of the entire building facade showing sign location, or for freestanding signs, a site drawing showing setbacks and proposed landscaping.
- Temporary construction signs for approved site plans or major subdivisions are tied to the construction timeline (from issuance of a construction permit through the first certificate of occupancy or one year, whichever is less), and must be shown and controlled as part of the overall development implementation.
- A number of zoning districts tie sign permissions to broader site plan review (e.g., NC, CC, HC, REO, LM, SB, PPE, APT/TH, ARH), often requiring Board approval of design, color, lighting and, in some districts, review by the Landmarks Preservation Commission; while not called a 'master sign plan', this functions as an integrated sign plan within the site plan approval.
- In the NC District, all signs must be reviewed by the Montgomery Township Landmarks Preservation Commission under §16‑13.17a5, and recommendations forwarded to the Planning Board or Zoning Board for action, effectively requiring coordinated sign design review as part of site or sign applications.
- In multi‑tenant developments (e.g., shopping centers, subdivided development parks, neighborhood shopping villages, mixed‑use age‑restricted developments), signage for individual tenants plus shared freestanding and directory signs must conform to common architectural themes and dimensional limits established in the zone standards, which are typically enforced via site plan approval and, where applicable, owners’ association documents; this operates as a de facto master sign plan requirement.
- For temporary signs, only one active temporary sign application per property owner or tenant is allowed at a time, and applications expire if the sign is not installed within 45 days, requiring a new application; this procedure imposes administrative control over temporary sign scheduling and inventory on a property.
- The ordinance does not use the specific term 'Master Sign Plan', but it repeatedly requires that sign designs, locations, dimensions, and lighting be included in, and approved as part of, subdivision or site plan applications and, in certain districts, by design review entities, which serves the same functional role as a master or coordinated sign plan for a property or development.

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

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