# Sign Regulations in Orange Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Orange Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/orange-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-21
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/34530329#34530329)

## At a glance

Orange Township, New Jersey regulates 23 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Freestanding (Pylon) Signs in the Mixed Use Zones (MX-1, MX-3) zoning district are capped at 25 ft tall and 50 sq ft per face, with a 5 ft from front property line; meets side yard requirements of principal building. setback (Sec. § 210-30.7C(1)-(3)). Most commercial signs in Orange Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | — | 12 in x 12 in | — |
| R-1 Residential Zone, R-2 Residential Zone | 4 | — | 144 sq in | — |
| R-3 Residential Zone, R-4 Residential Zone | 3 | 30 in | 4 sq ft | — |
| Mixed Use Zones (MX-1, MX-3) | 2 | 25 ft | 50 sq ft per face | — |
| CBD Zone | 10 | 10 ft (height up to half the sign length, but not over 10 ft) | 40 sq ft | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Billboard | — | — | — | — | — | Existing signs only; no new billboards permitted. Any existing sign structure may be maintained but not enlarged or relocated. | — | § 210-30.4C |
| Temporary Political Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | Private property only | — | § 210-30.9D(9)(c) |
| Temporary Sign (event, public, charitable, noncommercial) | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | — | Premises of a church, school, charitable or civic organization or train station overpass (subject to NJ Transit regulations) | — | § 210-30.9D(9)(a), (e) |
| Garage Sale Sign | — | 12 in x 12 in | — | — | — | — | — | § 105-7A, 105-7B |
| Address Sign | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 1 per premises | On wall, window, or ground in any zone | — | § 210-30.9K(3) |

### Mixed Use Zones (MX-1, MX-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 5 ft | — | 90% of storefront width | No sign may extend or project above highest elevation of wall to which it is attached. | 3 per storefront; 1 additional on rear with parking | Attached and parallel to wall (storefront or rear wall where off-street parking is available) | — | § 210-30.7B(1),(2),(7) |
| Freestanding (Pylon) Sign | 25 ft | 50 sq ft per face | — | 5 ft from front property line; meets side yard requirements of principal building. | 1 per property with off-street parking | On property of uses with off-street parking per §210-29 | — | § 210-30.7C(1)-(3) |

### CBD Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 5 ft (Mixed Use limit by reference applies) | — | 90% of storefront width (Mixed Use limit by reference applies) | Not projecting above highest wall elevation | 3 per storefront (plus additional per rear with parking, see Mixed Use cross-reference) | Attached and parallel to building wall. Each face (multiple streets/parking lot frontage allowed). | — | § 210-30.9D(1)-(2), § 210-30.8B |
| Ground Sign | 7 ft (most); 4 ft for residential-appearance conversions; 10 ft for institutional) | 20 sq ft (1-face); 40 sq ft (multi-face) | — | Placed at least 4 ft from sidewalk or 10 ft from street; institutional/public signs: min 5 ft from street line. | 1 (plus small directional signs per approval) | Where building is not visible from street or use does not use principal structure (parking lots); also residential conversions. | — | § 210-30.9D(2); § 210-30.9D(13); § 210-30.9E(1) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 9 sq ft | — | — | — | Must be at sign band, 1st to 2nd story, projecting at 90°, outer edge no more than 4 ft from wall | — | § 210-30.9D(3) |
| Window Sign (Permanent) | — | — | — | — | 1 per window | Inside window; 1 per window visible from street; counted in overall sign area limitation | — | § 210-30.9D(4) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | — | — | Max projection 5-6 ft from wall; must be hung same distance as adjacent awnings | — | Drop-flap of awning/canopy; building above display window | — | § 210-30.9D(6), § 210-30.9I(2)(j) |
| Marquee Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per building facade | Principal facade of movie theater | — | § 210-30.9D(7), § 210-30.9I(2)(k) |
| Temporary Portable Sidewalk Sign | 3 ft | — | 2 ft | — | 1 per restaurant | Flat against building, in alcove, or at curb if sidewalk > 8 ft wide; only in front of restaurant | — | § 210-30.9D(9)(f) |
| Public/Institutional Ground Sign | 10 ft (height up to half the sign length, but not over 10 ft) | 40 sq ft | — | Min 5 ft from street | 1 per school/church/park/building | Min 5 ft back from property line | — | § 210-30.8C, § 210-30.9E(1)-(2) |

## Prohibited signs in Orange Township

- Signs containing statements, words or pictures of an obscene, indecent or immoral character that offend public morals or decency are prohibited.
- Signs that imitate official traffic signs or signals, or contain the words 'stop', 'go', 'slow', 'caution', 'danger', 'warning', or similar words are prohibited.
- Signs that may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device, obstruct view of traffic signs or vehicular traffic, or are illuminated in colors red, orange-red, green, blue-green, or yellow within 100 feet of an intersection are prohibited. Floodlights that interfere with traffic visibility and signs exceeding 250-foot candles in brightness are prohibited.
- Signs that move in any manner or have a major moving part, except time and temperature signs, are prohibited.
- Signs containing or consisting of banners, posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners, balloons, kites or similarly moving devices are prohibited; these devices are also prohibited when not part of a sign. Exception: temporary banners secured with Building Inspector's approval.
- Signs using the surface of sidewalks, roads, and driveways, except municipal traffic control signs, are prohibited.
- Signs that project beyond any roof line of the building for which the sign is proposed are prohibited.
- Billboards and signboards are prohibited.
- Signs not attached directly to the premises which they reference are prohibited.
- No person may affix any sign in a public place without obtaining required permits except for exempt signs.
- No sign or banner may be affixed to any tree.
- No sign may be attached in any manner that interferes with required ventilation openings or with an architectural detail, unless approved in writing by the Construction Official.
- No sign, including supporting structure, may be attached in any manner to a fire escape.
- No sign may be placed/located to obstruct the view of oncoming vehicular traffic.
- No sign may consist of more than three colors, including the background color, except for logos or symbols.
- No sign shall have blinking, flashing, strobe or fluttering lights or any other illuminating devices with changing light intensity/brightness/color, except for time and temperature signs; beacon lights are not permitted.
- No exposed bulbs or lamps shall be used on the exterior of any sign if exposed to any public street or adjacent property.
- Floodlights or flexible fixtures used with any sign may not shine on adjoining property or into eyes of pedestrians or motorists.
- Signs, awnings, canopies, marquees, and facades may not be permitted to be in deteriorated/rusted/damaged condition, have chipped or peeling paint, torn or illegible material, or broken/non-functioning illumination.
- All renovations, repainting, or alterations must be in keeping with the original character of the building; fluorescent (Day-Glo) colors are not permitted.

## Signs exempt from permit in Orange Township

- Temporary signs do not require a permit, but must meet all applicable restrictions.
- Repairing signs by repainting, replacement of lettering, wording, and/or graphics, provided repairs do not exceed 25% of the area of the sign and restore the original sign. For box signs, permit only required for new face plate, not box structure.
- One wall, window, or ground sign not exceeding one square foot in area, stating only the name of the occupant and/or the street address of the premises, provided it meets all other requirements, does not require a permit.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No explicit general requirement for a master sign plan or comprehensive sign plan covering all zones was found in the provided text.
- Permit application for sign, awning, canopy, marquee, security gate or facade in Main Street (CBD) Shopping District must be submitted to the Construction Official, including detailed drawings/photos and information as specified.
- Any sign installation, refurbishing, or change to awning, canopy, marquee, security gate or facade requires a permit and approval from the Construction Official.
- Application for a security gate must include plans showing location, dimensions, and type; no work may begin on security gate until permit is issued.
- Change of business name or other info on an existing sign constitutes a new sign and requires a permit.
- Before a new business opens in the Main Street Shopping District, it must show the Construction Official it will comply fully with sign, awning, security gate, and facade requirements upon opening.
- Permit is required for any facade, awning, canopy, or marquee change and must be approved by the Construction Official.
- No mention of a required master sign plan or variance meeting covering all signs throughout all zones.

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

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