# Sign Regulations in Municipality Princeton, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Municipality Princeton, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/municipality-princeton
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28

## At a glance

Municipality Princeton, New Jersey regulates 28 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Ground Sign (Multifamily Complex Entry)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 7 ft tall and 10 sq ft, with a 15 ft from public right-of-way setback (Sec. § T10B-294(a)(7)). Most commercial signs in Municipality Princeton require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| RO, RB, NB, CB, SB | 14 | 5 ft | 72 sq in | — |
| SC Shopping Center District | 2 | — | — | — |
| S-2 District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Historic district, Historic buffer district | 2 | — | 8 sq ft per face, 16 sq ft max | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 10 | 30 in | 144 sq in | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### RO, RB, NB, CB, SB

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Street Level Business) | — | 20 sq ft (10% of wall) unlit; 10 sq ft (5% of wall) lit | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On the wall surface of the principal frontage/facade of the area occupied by the business. | — | § B17A-368(a)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign (Street Level Business) | 4 ft | 10 sq ft (unlit), 5 sq ft (lit, including all sides) | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Between principal structure and street; may be in front yard setback. | — | § B17A-368(a)(1)(b) |
| Wall Sign (Basement Level Business) | — | 10 sq ft (5% of inside wall area) unlit, 5 sq ft (2.5% of inside wall area) lit | — | — | 1 | Wall surface of the principal frontage/facade for basement business | — | § B17A-368(a)(2) |
| Wall Sign (Rear/Upper Floor Business Shared) | — | 8 sq ft wall sign, 2 sq ft glass door sign | — | — | 1 wall and 1 glass door sign per business group | Wall adjacent to main entrance for upper/rear businesses; also on entry glass door if present | — | § B17A-368(a)(4) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 8 sq ft per side, 16 sq ft total | — | — | 1 per street frontage per business | Attached to and projecting at a 90 degree angle from facade with public entrance | — | § B17A-368(a)(5) |
| Window/Door Sign (Painted) | — | 6 sq ft (total both signs), one sign per window/door | — | — | 2 per business (+1 menu sign for food establishments) | Painted on window/door | — | § B17A-368(b)(1) |
| Sandwich Board Sign (Single Business) | 4 ft | 12 sq ft per side | 3 ft | — | 1 per business | On sidewalk, max 4 ft from business facade; must not impede pedestrian traffic (min 6 ft on Nassau St, 4 ft elsewhere) | — | § B17A-368(d)(2) |
| Sandwich Board Sign (Multi-Business) | 5 ft | 15 sq ft per side | 3 ft | — | 1 per multi-business group | On sidewalk, max 4 ft from at least one advertised business; must not impede pedestrian traffic (min 6 ft on Nassau St, 4 ft elsewhere) | — | § B17A-368(d)(3) |

### Historic district, Historic buffer district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sign (General) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § T10B-298(f) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 8 sq ft per face, 16 sq ft max | — | — | 1 per street frontage per business | Per projecting sign requirements; not subject to Historic Commission review | — | § B17A-368(a)(5)(m), § T10B-298(f) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Nameplate (Non-illuminated) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per access drive | At residence | — | § T10B-294(a)(2) |
| Directional Sign (Permanent, On-site) | 30 in | 3 sq ft (entrance/exit), 12 sq ft (emergency med. care) | — | 5 ft from public right-of-way | — | Within site | — | § T10B-294(a)(6) |
| Ground Sign (Multifamily Complex Entry) | 7 ft | 10 sq ft | — | 15 ft from public right-of-way | 1 per primary entrance | Primary entrance to the multi-family complex | — | § T10B-294(a)(7) |
| Ground Sign (Single-family Development Entry) | 7 ft | 10 sq ft | — | 25 ft from public right-of-way | 1 per primary entrance | Primary entrance to residential development with homeowner's association | — | § T10B-294(a)(8) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Single Dwelling) | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On premises for sale/lease | — | § T10B-294(b)(1)(a) |
| Construction Sign (Temporary, Nonresidential) | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Site where construction is to occur | — | § T10B-294(b)(2) |
| Historic Sign | 4 ft (free-standing) | 4 sq ft | — | 2 ft from any property line (free-standing only) | — | Either on building facade or free-standing | — | § B17A-367(d) |
| Nameplate (Private Dwelling) | — | 144 sq in | — | — | 1 per dwelling | On private dwelling | — | § B17A-367(a) |

## Prohibited signs in Municipality Princeton

- No sign shall contain statements, words or pictures which are offensive to the community's standards.
- No sign shall purport to be or resemble official traffic signs or signals, or bear words such as 'stop,' 'go slow,' 'caution,' 'danger,' 'warning,' or similar words, or by size, location, movement, content, coloring or illumination resemble or be confused with any traffic control device, or obstruct view of pedestrians, vehicular traffic, or street signs/signals.
- No sign shall, except as otherwise provided, advertise or publicize an activity, use, business, product, real estate, or service not located or conducted on the premises upon which such signs are located.
- No sign shall contain electronic, flashing, glowing or moving devices (except time and temperature devices), emit smoke, visible vapor, particles, sound, odor, use exposed incandescent bulbs, neon tubes, mirrors or similar reflecting devices.
- No sign shall be located in a public right-of-way except with approval of the zoning officer and under limited circumstances.
- No sign shall consist of banners (except grand opening banners), posters, flags (except U.S. flags), pennants, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs (except seasonal decorations), and spinners.
- No sign shall be portable or temporary except as permitted, e.g., sandwich boards, movable stands, signs on movable vehicles or temporary structures.
- No sign shall be located, painted, or affixed on benches, water towers, storage tanks, smokestacks, utility poles, or similar structures, or on trees, rocks, or natural features.
- No sign shall be placed on a flat roof, above a roof peak, project from a facade (other than as allowed), or appear on awnings/canopies except on the valance.
- No sign shall be attached to or placed on merchandise/materials stored or displayed outdoors and visible from a public street or area.
- No sign shall contain changeable copy, except for theater marquees, business directories, church, museum signs, and gas price signs.
- Billboards are prohibited.
- Flashing or moving signs, and signs or devices whose light is not stationary/constant in intensity and color, are prohibited.
- Neon signs are prohibited.
- Signs which compete for attention with or may be mistaken for a traffic signal are prohibited.
- Electronic variable message signs are prohibited.
- No sign shall project into a required yard or beyond the lot or street line except as otherwise provided.
- No sign shall be placed, inscribed or supported upon the roof, or upon any structure which extends above the roof of any building, except directional devices required by aeronautical authorities.
- No sign shall interfere with the opening of an exit door, obstruct any window opening of a room used for dwelling purposes, or project above the top or beyond the ends of the wall surface upon which it is placed.
- No part of any business sign shall project above the top or beyond the ends of the wall surface upon which it is placed.
- Back-lit 'sign box' signs are not permitted.
- No person shall place or cause to be placed any advertising sign on any post, tree, fence, sidewalk, telegraph pole, telephone pole or electric light pole in the streets of the municipality, except on boards provided for that purpose and duly authorized.

## Signs exempt from permit in Municipality Princeton

- Non-illuminated memorial or historical signs, corner stones, tablets indicating name/date of building, two square feet or less, part of the wall of identified building.
- Non-illuminated residential nameplates area less than two square feet, may include name of owner or resident and address; one sign per access drive.
- Seasonal decorations for display purposes, provided they are safely maintained.
- Grave markers.
- 'No trespassing' and 'no hunting' signs on private property not exceeding one square foot each.
- Directional signs not exceeding 30 inches in height and located within a site, subject to specified criteria (entrance/exit signs, emergency medical care signs, limited size/setback).
- One ground sign identifying the name of a multi-family complex (≤10 sq ft, setbacks and height limits applicable).
- One ground sign identifying the name of a single-family development with HOA (≤10 sq ft, setbacks and height limits applicable).
- Directory signs erected as part of a municipally sponsored program, at location and size approved by zoning officer.
- All signs and signals owned or operated by the township, county, state or the United States.
- Temporary signs advertising sale or rental of premises, construction or location of nonresidential use, farm products grown onsite, construction hazard warnings, sale of merchandise in windows, garage/yard sales, directional signs for transitory purposes, grand opening banners, celebration bunting for holidays, signs for special public issues/events, and government signs/notices, all subject to stated conditions on area, placement, time, content, and removal.
- Temporary paper signs (in business districts) made out of paper/similar material and containing extraordinary info pertaining to matters of limited duration such as sales, public events, or employment opportunities, under size and duration limits.
- Non-illuminated nameplate signs for principal occupant/street of private dwelling (≤144 square inches).
- Church, educational institution or public/quasi-public building sign (illuminated or not) of not more than 16 square feet.
- Temporary non-illuminated signs for lease or sale of premises (≤8 square feet, must be removed after sale/lease within 7 days).
- Signs for building/public premises under construction with info about the architect, engineer, contractors etc., up to 8 square feet, at principal entrance, removed within 7 days of project completion.
- Class reunion signs or banners of a college/university.
- Signs advertising political, educational, religious or similar campaign/event, total area on a lot not exceeding eight square feet.
- Non-illuminated sign delineating the historic significance of the property (≤4 square feet, must meet specified criteria regarding content, location, permits).
- Identification and directional signs for parking, non-illuminated and area not more than six square feet per sign, limited to essentials.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Except for exempt signs as described, no sign shall be erected, altered, or moved without a permit issued pursuant to this subdivision.
- Signs in the SC zoning district shall be consistent with the general signage plan for the district; if not, application is referred to the Planning Board or its subcommittee for review for conformity with the plan.
- Signs are classified by the zoning officer as 'as of right,' 'restricted,' or 'design review'; application requirements and review processes vary.
- "Design Review" signs may require concept plans and sample field mock-ups submitted with permit application unless waived by zoning officer.
- Signs in historic districts or historic buffer districts shall be complimentary to the district character in terms of materials, colors, and lettering.
- A zoning permit is required from the development enforcement officer for certain signs (e.g., projecting business signs, historic signs, special advertisement/menu signs), with specific submission requirements (e.g., scaled drawings, renderings, photographs, documentation).
- Prior to approval of zoning permit for historic significance signs, application must be forwarded to Historic Preservation Commission for review/approval.
- For projecting signs and certain special signs, zoning permit must be issued or denied within 10 business days of submission.
- Non-conforming permanent signs lawfully existing on the date of enactment may be continued/restored, subject to provisions.

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

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