# Sign Regulations in North Plainfield Borough, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** North Plainfield Borough, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/north-plainfield-borough
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/35424687#35424687)

## At a glance

North Plainfield Borough, New Jersey regulates 27 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the PO-R zoning district are capped at 42 inches tall and 12 square feet (15 square feet if >1 business), with a 10 feet from property line setback (Sec. § 22-119.5b). Most commercial signs in North Plainfield Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 13 | 42 inches above normal grade | 32 square feet | — |
| G, SC | 2 | 42 inches | 15 square feet | — |
| PO-R | 3 | 42 inches | 150 square feet | — |
| Business Zone Districts, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6 | 12 | 30 feet | 150 square feet | — |
| R-1, R-2, R-3 | 1 | — | 8 square feet | — |
| Designated Historic District | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Garage/Yard Sale Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One on-premises sign; up to two additional on neighboring properties | On the premises of the sale; two additional signs on neighboring yards with written permission | — | § 4-11.6 |
| Professional Nameplate | — | 3 square feet | — | — | — | Attached to wall of professional building | — | § 22-119.3a |
| Memorial Sign/Tablet | — | 3 square feet | — | — | — | On building | — | § 22-119.3b |
| Directional/Identification/Information Sign (Wall/Freestanding) | 42 inches above normal grade | 4 square feet | — | — | One at each entrance/exit | At each entrance/exit to lot/parcel for nonresidential or multifamily residential uses | — | § 22-119.3c |
| Area Identification Sign | Zone-specific; not to exceed max height of other freestanding signs in zone | 32 square feet | — | — | One per street frontage | One per street frontage for developments with multiple user spaces or unified areas | — | § 22-119.3d |
| Building Construction Sign | — | 8 square feet in R-1, R-2, R-3, G, SC, PO-R; 32 square feet elsewhere | — | — | One per construction site | On-site at construction site | — | § 22-119.3h4 |
| Real Estate Sign (Wall/Freestanding) | — | 6 square feet | 3 feet (no dimension more than 3 ft; only one dimension over 2 ft) | — | One per lot | One per lot (on property for sale/lease) | — | § 22-119.3i |
| Freestanding Bulletin Board | — | 32 square feet | — | Area ≤10 sq ft: 15 ft; Area >10 sq ft: 15 ft + 1 ft per 2 sq ft over 10 | 1 per lot/development | On property of charitable, school (K-12), or religious/public use | — | § 22-119.3l |

### PO-R

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 42 inches | 12 square feet (15 square feet if >1 business) | — | 10 feet from property line | One per lot or development | One per lot or development | — | § 22-119.5b |
| Wall Sign | — | 150 square feet | Only one dimension may exceed 2 feet (vertical or horizontal) | — | One per lot or development | On building facade | — | § 22-119.5c |
| Building Construction Sign | — | 8 square feet | — | — | One per construction site | On-site at construction site | — | § 22-119.3h4 |

### Business Zone Districts, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Route 22 or Shopping Center/Mall) | 30 feet | 130 square feet | — | Frontage/ROW: per §22-119.6b2c/d/e/f/g; side/rear 10 ft; 40 ft from residential | One per site except as provided (see autos below) | One on-site or off-site per lot/shopping center/mall. Not permitted on lots with frontage <100 ft. | — | § 22-119.6b2 |
| Freestanding Sign (Auto Sales - Route 22) | 30 feet | 130 square feet per sign (second sign for same make limited to 65 sq ft) | — | Same as general freestanding signs in zone | One or two per auto sales lot | Up to two per lot for auto sales. Lot must have at least 200 ft frontage for second sign. | — | § 22-119.6b3 |
| Freestanding Joint Identification Sign (Route 22) | 30 feet | 130 sq ft for 2 or fewer businesses; 300 sq ft max total | — | Same as general freestanding signs in zone | One per property | One per property fronting Route 22 | — | § 22-119.6b4 |
| Freestanding Sign (General, not Route 22) | 8 feet | 12 square feet (15 sq ft if more than 1 business) | — | 15 ft from ROW | One per business | One per business; lot must have at least 50 ft frontage | — | § 22-119.6b5 |
| Freestanding Banner | 15 feet | 15 square feet | — | — | One per business | On property of specific business (not in ROW, not blocking vehicle sight lines) | — | § 22-119.6b5e |
| Wall Sign (General) | — | 150 square feet | Only one dimension may exceed 2 ft (except B-5/B-6: see below) | — | One per public entrance, up to 4 per business | On building wall/facade, including awning, canopy, or projecting | — | § 22-119.6c |
| Wall Sign (B-5, B-6 Only) | — | 150 square feet | Both dimensions may exceed 2 ft (see citation) | — | One per public entrance, up to 4 per business | On building wall/facade | — | § 22-119.6c3 |
| Area Identification/Joint Identification Sign | Not to exceed height of other freestanding signs in the district | 32 square feet (Joint ID signs see above for 300 sq ft max) | — | — | One per street frontage | One per street frontage for developments with multiple user/business spaces | — | § 22-119.3d, § 22-119.6a, § 22-119.6b4 |

## Prohibited signs in North Plainfield Borough

- No person shall paste, glue, tack or otherwise post any sign, placard, advertisement, or inscription whatever, nor shall any person erect or cause to be erected any sign whatever on any public lands or highways or roads adjacent to the Green Acres Area.
- Wall signs may not obscure or require the removal of building elements such as cornices, lintels, columns, etc., that define and separate parts of the building or decorative elements.
- Wall signs may not extend above the eaves or bottom of the building roof or above the top of any parapet wall of the building.
- Wall signs may not project more than eight inches from the wall upon which they are mounted.
- Portable 'A' frame signs shall not contain any elements which are prohibited by this chapter.

## Signs exempt from permit in North Plainfield Borough

- Professional nameplates attached to the wall of buildings and not exceeding three square feet of display surface area are permitted as accessory structures for all permitted professional uses and are permitted in addition to any other wall signs permitted in the applicable zone district.
- Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and signs indicating the date of the original building construction, not exceeding three square feet, are permitted in all zone districts and are permitted in addition to any other wall signs permitted in the zone district.
- Directional, identification, and information signs as described (limited in area and height) are permitted as accessory structures in all districts where nonresidential or multifamily uses are permitted, and limitations on number of wall/freestanding signs in the districts do not apply to them.
- Area identification signs for developments with multiple user spaces, subject to size and location criteria.
- Signs identifying off-street parking facilities, recycling areas, or handicapped spaces placed in accordance with requirements are generally exempt as they are required by the Code.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The size and location of the fence, wall or other structure which will contain an area identification sign must be approved by the Building Inspector, who will approve or disapprove such sign upon the criterion of traffic safety sight lines.
- Placement of freestanding banners for businesses requires an approved sign permit from the Zoning Office.
- Signs within the designated Historic District must conform to the guidelines established for the district (may require Historic District review or approval).

## 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 6 zoning districts in North Plainfield Borough — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=North+Plainfield+Borough+NJ&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-north-plainfield-borough

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