# Sign Regulations in Ridgefield Borough, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Ridgefield Borough, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/ridgefield-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/9122963#9122963)

## At a glance

Ridgefield Borough, New Jersey regulates 26 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Entrance/Rental/Sales Office Sign (Housing or Garden Apartment Developments)s in the Residential Districts zoning district are capped at Entrance sign max 6 ft.; other signs max 5 ft. tall and One entrance sign max 20 sq. ft.; other signs max 15 sq. ft. (Sec. §390-18D(8)). Most commercial signs in Ridgefield Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 20 feet above ground (except wall/cornice limit) | 20 feet in height above ground level (unless mounted on building wall—then limited by building's height) | — |
| Residential Districts | 10 | Entrance sign max 6 ft.; other signs max 5 ft. | 50 sq. in. | — |
| Nonresidential Districts | 11 | — | See schedule: 10,000-15,000 sq. ft.: 50 sq. ft.; 15,000-30,000 sq. ft.: 75 sq. ft.; 30,000-50,000 sq. ft.: 100 sq. ft.; over 50,000 sq. ft.: 150 sq. ft. | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Truss Sign | — | 12 inches by 8 inches (96 sq. in.) | — | — | — | Located at the left side of the main entrance, street side; minimum 6 feet above ground level | — | §140-7(A)-(C) |
| Rooftop Hazard Sign | — | 12 inches by 8 inches (96 sq. in.) | — | — | — | Located at the left side of the main entrance, street side | — | §140-7(B)-(C) |
| Temporary Emergency No-Parking Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As directed by Chief of Police during emergencies | — | §375-1, §375-43 |
| Traffic Control & Regulatory Signs | — | — | — | — | — | As required for public safety, at intersections or as mandated | — | §375-1, §375-3, §375-32, §375-45 |
| General Stationary Sign Regulation | 20 feet above ground (except wall/cornice limit) | 20 feet in height above ground level (unless mounted on building wall—then limited by building's height) | — | — | — | Not in Borough right-of-way unless no alternative, with notification to Building Department | — | §390-18(B)(1)-(15) |
| Temporary Sign (General) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §390-18(B)(17), §390-18D(10) |

### Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directional Sign (Residential) | — | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | — | Identifying parking areas, entrances, loading zones, exits, similar | — | §390-18D(1) |
| Name and Number Plate (Residential) | — | 50 sq. in. | — | — | — | Affixed to house, apartment, or mailbox | — | §390-18D(2) |
| Lawn Sign (Residential) | — | 1.5 sq. ft. | — | — | — | Identifying residents, in yard/lawn area | — | §390-18D(3) |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential) | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | — | Announcing sale/lease/rental of premises, onsite | — | §390-18D(4) |
| Freestanding or Wall Sign (Religious, Institutional, Hospital, Nursing Home, School, Service Organization) | — | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per institution/organization | — | — | §390-18D(7) |
| Entrance/Rental/Sales Office Sign (Housing or Garden Apartment Developments) | Entrance sign max 6 ft.; other signs max 5 ft. | One entrance sign max 20 sq. ft.; other signs max 15 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per entrance, 1 at sales/rental office | At project entrances and at rental/sales office | — | §390-18D(8) |
| Park/Farm/Recreation Area Sign (Residential) | — | 30 sq. ft. (any one side) | — | Minimum 5 feet from street or curbline | 1 | Identifying farms, public/private parks, or recreation areas | — | §390-18D(9) |
| Temporary Political Sign (Residential) | — | 32 sq. ft. per sign; max combined total 50 sq. ft. per tax lot | — | At least 5 feet from curb or pavement | — | On residential property with owner's consent | — | §390-18D(10) |

### Nonresidential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directional Sign (Nonresidential) | — | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | — | Identifying parking areas, entrances, loading zones, exits, similar | — | §390-18E(1) |
| Real Estate Sign (Nonresidential - Commercial/Office) | — | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | — | On premises for sale/lease/rent | — | §390-18E(2) |
| Real Estate Sign (Nonresidential - Industrial) | — | 50 sq. ft. | — | — | — | On premises for sale/lease/rent | — | §390-18E(2) |
| Freestanding or Wall Sign (Religious, Institutional, Hospital, Nursing Home, School, Service Organization) | — | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per institution/organization | — | — | §390-18E(6) |
| Freestanding Sign (Buildings ≤2 stories, <10,000 sq. ft.) | — | 40 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 | On premises | — | §390-18E(8)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign (Buildings ≥10,000 sq. ft., ≤2 stories) | — | 50 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 | On premises | — | §390-18E(8)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign (Buildings >2 stories, >10,000 sq. ft.) | — | See schedule: 10,000-15,000 sq. ft.: 50 sq. ft.; 15,000-30,000 sq. ft.: 75 sq. ft.; 30,000-50,000 sq. ft.: 100 sq. ft.; over 50,000 sq. ft.: 150 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 or 2 (if >100,000 sq. ft.) | On premises | — | §390-18E(8)(b)-(c) |
| Park/Farm/Recreation Area Sign (Nonresidential) | — | 30 sq. ft. (any one side) | — | Minimum 5 feet from street or curbline | 1 | Identifying farms, public/private parks, recreation areas | — | §390-18E(8)(d) |

## Prohibited signs in Ridgefield Borough

- Any signs not specifically permitted are hereby prohibited.
- No sign shall be located within the Borough right-of-way unless no other placement location is feasible to the property owner due to the size and shape of the lot or the existence of previously existing structures on the property. This shall not apply to traffic signs and/or other signs installed by governmental agencies.
- No sign shall exceed 20 feet in height above ground level, except signs erected against the side of a building, which signs shall not extend above the height of the vertical wall or cornice to which they are attached.
- No person shall erect a sign on or over any public property or public right-of-way other than traffic directional signs or signs erected by a governmental entity.
- Signs shall not be painted on or affixed to water towers, storage tanks, smokestacks or similar structures.
- The use of wood or fiber plugs is prohibited for attaching signs to buildings.
- No signs obstructing doors, fire escapes or stairways or keeping light or air from windows used for living quarters.
- No moving or revolving signs and signs using waving, blinking, flashing, vibrating, flickering, tracer or sequential lighting except for a movie theater or Borough property.
- No signs using words such as 'stop,' 'look,' or 'danger' or any other sign which in the judgment of the Police Chief of the Borough constitutes a traffic hazard or otherwise interferes with the free flow of traffic.
- No roof signs.
- No signs advertising a product or service not sold on the premises, signs advertising or directing attention to another premises and any other sign not related to the premises on which the sign is erected, except for approved signs on Borough property.
- No signs causing interference with radio or television reception.
- No signs placed in awnings, trees, fences, utility poles or attached to other signs.
- No temporary mobile message signs.
- No person shall place any sign or advertisement or other matter upon any pole, tree, curbstone, sidewalk or elsewhere in any public street or public place, except as authorized by ordinance.
- No person shall erect or place any sign, show bill, showboard or billboard in any of the public streets or places, except as authorized by ordinance.
- No person shall injure, deface, obliterate, remove, take down or disturb, or in any other manner interfere with or disturb, any official signboard or notice erected by the Mayor and Council or any officer thereof.
- No person shall remove, displace, break or change any sign or lights or signals set up or placed in any street or public place as a warning of danger, excavation, obstruction or showing that any street or public place is closed to traffic; and no person shall extinguish any such warning light between sunset and sunrise.

## Signs exempt from permit in Ridgefield Borough

- Seasonal holiday displays, the American flag or other governmental flags, athletic scoreboards on school premises, or official announcements and signs of government are excluded from the definition of a 'sign' and thereby exempt.
- Traffic signs and/or other signs installed by governmental agencies are exempt from certain location restrictions.
- Temporary and permanent traffic signs and signals or other signs installed by a government agency are permitted in all districts.
- Signs installed by a governmental entity are permitted on public property/right-of-way.
- Building permits are not required for signs meeting all of the following conditions: supported by uprights or braces upon the ground surface; not served by an electrical circuit directly connected to the sign; not greater than 25 square feet in surface area (one side); not more than six feet above the ground (mounted height).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No indication is provided in the ordinance text regarding the requirement for a master sign plan, sign plan submission, or variance meeting for signage. Requirements primarily involve zoning/building permits as detailed in §390-18B(12).

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Ridgefield Borough, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Ridgefield+Borough+NJ&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-ridgefield-borough

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