# Sign Regulations in South Plainfield Borough, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** South Plainfield Borough, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/south-plainfield-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/30551582#30551582)

## At a glance

South Plainfield Borough, New Jersey regulates 25 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Identification / Advertising Signs in the Business zones (OBC-1, OBC-2, OPA-1, RH) zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall, 32 square feet, and 6 feet wide, with a 15 feet from property line setback (Sec. § 540-54B(1)(b)). Most commercial signs in South Plainfield Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential zones | 5 | 5 feet above ground | 25 square feet (per lot) | — |
| Business zones (OBC-1, OBC-2, OPA-1, RH) | 10 | 30 feet | 100 square feet per side | — |
| Industrial zones (OPA-2, M-1, M-2, M-3) | 3 | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| M-3 Zone | 4 | 6 feet | 80 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | — | Over 6 square feet | — |

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

### Residential zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Decorative Sign (Name/Address) | — | 2 square feet | — | — | — | On residence (typically near entrance, mailbox, etc.) | — | § 540-54A(1) |
| Sale or Rental Sign / Construction Identification Sign | — | 15% of frontage in square feet | — | — | — | On lot where property is for sale/rent or construction is occurring | — | § 540-54A(2) |
| Government Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Erected by Borough, County, State or Federal Government | — | § 540-54A(3) |
| Institutional/Event Sign (Church, School, Playground, Park, Public Utility) | — | 25 square feet (per lot) | — | — | — | On property of institution/event | — | § 540-54A(4) |
| Multifamily Use Identification Sign | 5 feet above ground | 20 square feet (aggregate, both sides) | — | 15 feet from each street right-of-way | One | At entrance or otherwise on property | — | § 540-54A(5) |

### Business zones (OBC-1, OBC-2, OPA-1, RH)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification / Advertising Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet | 6 feet | 15 feet from property line | Up to three per business (one ground sign allowed) | Minimum 15 feet from property line; not in required clear sight triangle | — | § 540-54B(1)(b) |
| Shopping Center Wall Sign | — | 15% of front wall area | — | — | One per permitted use | Principal facade, attached to or on building | — | § 540-54B(2)(a) |
| Shopping Center Canopy Hung Sign | — | 4 square feet per side, two sides allowed | — | — | One per store/occupant | Hanging from underside of canopy above walkway | — | § 540-54B(2)(b) |
| Shopping Center Freestanding/Pylon Sign | 30 feet | 100 square feet per side | — | Must be within property line, not closer than 50 feet to side/property lines | One per street frontage | On property with street frontage | — | § 540-54B(2)(c)-(e) |
| Shopping Center Directional Sign (Ingress) | 7 feet | 20 square feet per face (7 ft height), 15 square feet per face (in buffer area; 7 ft height) | — | — | One per ingress driveway | At each driveway providing ingress for off-street parking | — | § 540-54B(2)(f)[1] |
| Shopping Center Directional Sign (Egress) | 7 feet | 15 square feet per side | — | — | Number and location as approved | At driveway(s) providing egress as approved by Planning Board | — | § 540-54B(2)(f)[2] |
| Traffic Control Sign (Shopping Center) | 6 feet | 4 square feet | — | — | As approved | Interior roadways on premises | — | § 540-54B(2)(g) |
| Parking Lot Identification Sign (Shopping Center) | 20 feet | 3 square feet per face (4 faces max) | — | — | One per 40,000 sf of parking area; plus aisle end signs | Within parking areas, one per 40,000 square feet | — | § 540-54B(2)(h) |

### M-3 Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Zone Signs | — | — | — | — | — | As per residential zone regulations | — | § 540-54C(1) |
| Identification / Advertising Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet | 6 feet | 15 feet from property line | Up to three per industry (one ground sign allowed) | Minimum 15 feet from property line; not in required clear sight triangle | — | § 540-54C(2) |
| Safety or Directional Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | — | On premises | — | § 540-54C(3) |
| Commercial Sign (M-3 Zone Specific) | — | 80 square feet | — | At least 200 feet from another sign or two-unit arrangement | No more than two adjacent | On premises, not adjacent within 200 ft of another sign or two-unit arrangement | — | § 540-54C(4) |

## Prohibited signs in South Plainfield Borough

- No sign with any lighting or control mechanism which may cause radio or television interference shall be permitted.
- No sign shall overhang a public right-of-way or passageway used by the public by more than 15 inches, unless approved by the Construction Official in consultation with the Traffic Safety Commission, confirming no visual or traffic hazards.
- The actual source of illumination for illuminated signs shall be shielded from public view (except neon). No lights of intermittent or flashing type are permitted.
- All freestanding signs must be permanently installed in the ground. Portable signs (such as sandwich boards or similar devices) are not permitted.
- Except as provided in § 540-63, billboards and off-site advertising signs (signs advertising a product or service not sold on the premises or directing attention to another premises) are prohibited.
- Advertisements may only relate to the business or profession conducted on the premises and advertise only the name of the owner/lessee, establishment, type/goods/services, or trade name relevant to the premises.
- Signs may not be erected on, attached to, or hung over any Borough-owned property, any other property owned by a public entity, any park, or any government building except for approved traffic signs or signs erected/attached/hung by a government entity.
- No sign or advertising may be painted, attached, or affixed on any automatic machine except for a sign setting forth the product sold in each individual machine; no sign, billboard, or advertisement may extend above or beyond the machine.
- All other signs (except those of uniform size and form not to exceed 24 inches by 24 inches, per §342-6.A) are prohibited where the uniform size/form rule applies.
- Placing signs upon utility poles is a violation of law.

## Signs exempt from permit in South Plainfield Borough

- Traffic signs and markings erected in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways are exempt.
- Signs erected by the Borough, county, state, or federal governments are exempt.
- Approved traffic signs or signs erected/attached/hung by a government entity are exempt from the prohibition against signs on public property.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs with an area exceeding six square feet require a permit.
- In shopping centers, egress and traffic control signs require approval by the Planning Board.
- No explicit requirement for a Master Sign Plan or comprehensive sign plan in the provided ordinance sections.

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

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