# Sign Regulations in Palisades Park Borough, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Palisades Park Borough, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/palisades-park-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/9264901#9264901)

## At a glance

Palisades Park Borough, New Jersey regulates 20 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Business Zones zoning district are capped at 20 feet tall and 24 square feet, with a 10 feet from street right-of-way and 10 feet from side lot lines. setback (Sec. §300-31A(1)-(6), §300-34). Most commercial signs in Palisades Park Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Zones | 5 | 20 feet | 24 square feet | — |
| Industrial Zone | 5 | 20 feet | 24 square feet | — |
| Residential Zones | 9 | — | 16 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | — | — | — |

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

### Business Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 feet | 24 square feet | — | 10 feet from street right-of-way and 10 feet from side lot lines. | One per development or lot | Minimum 10 feet setback from street right-of-way line and 10 feet from side lot lines. Must have open area of not less than three feet between base and ground (may be filled with decorative latticework not closing more than 1/2 per sq ft). | — | §300-31A(1)-(6), §300-34 |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | One per business, two if on more than one street | Attached to exterior front, rear, or side wall parallel with wall plane. | — | §300-31B(1)(f)[1]-[2], §300-34 |
| Window Display Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Within 12 inches of window surface | — | §300-31B(2) |
| Temporary Sign | — | 12 square feet; banners in right-of-way may exceed 12 sq ft by permit. | — | — | — | — | — | §300-33, §300-29C |
| Awning/Canopy/Marquee Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Projecting from building but must comply with general sign regulations. | — | §300-35G |

### Industrial Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 feet | 24 square feet | — | 10 feet from street right-of-way and 10 feet from side lot lines. | One per development or lot | Minimum 10 feet setback from street right-of-way line and 10 feet from side lot lines. Must have open area of not less than three feet between base and ground (may be filled with decorative latticework not closing more than 1/2 per sq ft). | — | §300-31A(1)-(6), §300-34 |
| Wall Sign | 2 to 3 feet (see formula) | — | 30% of wall width | — | One per business, two if on more than one street | Attached to exterior wall, parallel with wall plane. | — | §300-31B(1)(f)[3], §300-34 |
| Window Display Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Within 12 inches of window surface | — | §300-31B(2) |
| Temporary Sign | — | 12 square feet; banners in right-of-way may exceed 12 sq ft by permit. | — | — | — | — | — | §300-33, §300-29C |
| Awning/Canopy/Marquee Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Projecting from building but must comply with general sign regulations. | — | §300-35G |

### Residential Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Nameplate | — | 1 square foot | — | — | One per single-family residence | Single-family residence, affixed to wall or at entrance. | — | §300-29C(2) |
| Professional Nameplate | — | 1 square foot | — | — | — | Lawful occupant's premises | — | §300-29C(3) |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 12 square feet | — | — | — | On lot being advertised | — | §300-29C(1) |
| Contractor Sign | — | 16 square feet | — | 15 feet from curb | — | On work site under construction | — | §300-29C(5) |
| Bulletin Board/Institutional Sign | — | 16 square feet | — | — | — | On premises of public, charitable or religious institution | — | §300-29C(4) |
| Election or Political Sign | — | 12 square feet | — | — | — | Entirely on private property | — | §300-29C(11), §300-33D |
| Temporary Sign | — | 12 square feet (general); 4 square feet (garage sale signs; max 2 per premises, only for sale duration); banners in right-of-way may exceed 12 sq ft by permit. | — | — | Max 2 for garage sales | On premises of temporary activity; not on public property/right-of-way, trees, poles, or sidewalks | — | §300-33, §151-6 |
| Traffic/Safety/Directional Sign (on-premises) | — | 4 square feet | — | — | — | On premises | — | §300-29C(10) |

## Prohibited signs in Palisades Park Borough

- No sign shall be erected, altered, located or relocated within the municipality except upon application and the issuance of a permit as provided.
- No sign shall be an illuminated sign except as provided.
- No sign shall be internally illuminated by neon gas-filled tubes.
- No sign shall be illuminated externally by more than one floodlight per surface; lighting must be at grade and properly shielded to avoid glare or offensive light off property.
- Flashing signs, highly reflective glass or fluorescent paint (red or green) and illuminated tubing outlining roofs, doors, windows or wall edges of a building are prohibited.
- No sign shall be artificially illuminated after 11:00 p.m. or before 7:00 a.m. unless the premises are occupied and attended.
- No billboard or billboard signs shall be permitted.
- No sign shall be placed, located or displayed upon any sidewalk or area between sidewalk and curb nor shall they project on or over a sidewalk.
- No roof sign (sky sign) shall be permitted.
- No sign shall be erected or painted or composed of fluorescent or phosphorescent or similar material.
- No sign shall be, in whole or in part, moving, mobile or revolving.
- No sign shall have more than two colors, inclusive of background, frame and decorative parts (with some exceptions regarding use of black and white).
- No sign shall be erected, relocated or maintained so as to prevent free ingress to or egress from any door, window or fire escape; no sign shall be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
- No sign or advertising structure shall be erected at street intersections in such a manner as to obstruct vision or interfere with, obstruct the view of, cause an optical illusion or be confused with authorized traffic signs, signals or devices.
- No commercial outdoor advertising signs, billboards or other signs not directly related to the business conducted on the premises and not conforming to applicable requirements are permitted.
- No person may display obscene, indecent or immoral matter upon any sign or advertising structure.
- No sign shall be permitted on public property or within any public right-of-way or sidewalk except as authorized.
- No person shall place any sign or advertisement upon any pole, tree, curbstone, sidewalk or elsewhere in or on any public street or place, except as authorized.
- No temporary sign (including political) may be erected on any pole or tree located on public property or within the public right-of-way.
- No sign or billboard exceeding 30 square feet in area is permitted upon licensed premises (see §278-12).

## Signs exempt from permit in Palisades Park Borough

- Real estate signs not exceeding 12 square feet in area advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises on which they are located.
- Residential nameplates identifying a single-family residence and/or street address not exceeding one square foot in area.
- Professional nameplates not exceeding one square foot in area for lawful occupants of the premises.
- Bulletin boards or signs not over 16 square feet in area for public, charitable or religious institutions when located on their premises.
- A sign identifying the architect, engineer or contractor at a construction work site, not exceeding 16 square feet in area, set back at least 15 feet from the curb and removed within 24 hours after certificate of occupancy is issued.
- Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and date of erection when cut into masonry surfaces or constructed of bronze or other incombustible materials.
- Traffic or other municipal signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signs, danger signs and such temporary, emergency or nonadvertising signs or signs of any governmental agency deemed necessary to public welfare.
- Flags of the United States, State of New Jersey or governmental/quasi-public agencies.
- Holiday decorations and lights on residential premises.
- Signs erected solely to control movement of traffic on a premises (maximum 4 square feet, approved by the agency, not used for advertising).
- Election or political signs placed entirely on private property and not exceeding 12 square feet in area.
- Outdoor umbrellas located in outdoor cafes are exempt from the sign ordinance.
- Window display signs and certain window affixed signs are permitted provided the aggregate area does not exceed 20% of the total window area.
- Non-smoking signs, parking signs, and other regulatory signs required by other Code sections or public authorities.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Application for a permit must include a rendering of the sign with dimensions, design, color, and information on construction and securing.
- Applications for signs not complying with ordinance provisions, or associated with changes in occupancy or ownership and not compliant, must be submitted to the appropriate approving authority (e.g., zoning board, planning board, or governing body) and may require public notice/hearing.
- Such non-conforming sign applications must be accompanied by multiple copies of sketch plats or building elevations, drawn to scale and indicating location, design, and data as required.
- A permit for the replacement of an existing sign may be issued without Board approval if there is no physical alteration/expansion, all provisions are met, and no additional signage is proposed.
- All sign permits are subject to fees established by the Borough fee schedule.
- All signs must be constructed per BOCA Code; if unsafe, the Zoning Officer may order alteration or removal.
- Nonconforming signs associated with a change in occupancy or ownership require an application to the appropriate approving authority.
- All temporary signage (except exemptions) requires a permit valid up to 30 days, with one possible renewal up to 60 days.

## 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 Palisades Park Borough — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Palisades+Park+Borough+NJ&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-palisades-park-borough

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