# Sign Regulations in South River Borough, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** South River Borough, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/south-river-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/8202625#8202625)

## At a glance

South River Borough, New Jersey regulates 19 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Institutions: churches, schools, public/quasi-public)s in the Residential districts zoning district are capped at 10 feet tall and 20 square feet, with a At least 15 feet from all lot lines. setback (Sec. §350-26E(1)(a)-(b)). Most commercial signs in South River Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential districts | 4 | 10 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Office Professional District, Commercial District, MSR District, W-R District | 4 | — | 50 square feet | — |
| Industrial districts | 4 | 65 feet from grade (including copy extensions) | 672 square feet per sign face (each direction) | — |
| B-1 Zone, B-2 Zone, MSR Zone, W-R Zone | 4 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | 18 feet or height of principal building, whichever is less | — | — |
| L-I District | 4 | 65 feet (including copy extensions) | 672 square feet per sign face (each direction), copy extensions up to 10% more | — |

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

### Residential districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Institutions: churches, schools, public/quasi-public) | 10 feet | 20 square feet | — | At least 15 feet from all lot lines. | Not more than one per road frontage | Required setback at least 15 feet from all lot lines | — | §350-26E(1)(a)-(b) |
| Wall Sign (Institutions: churches, schools, public/quasi-public) | No sign higher at any point than the roofline. | — | — | — | — | Attached to the facade of the structure | — | §350-26E(1)(a), §350-26B(7), §350-26E(1)(d) |
| Freestanding/Wall Signs (General residential lots) | 10 feet | 6 square feet for any sign and 12 square feet total for all signs on lot | — | At least 15 feet from all lot lines | — | Setback at least 15 feet from all lot lines | — | §350-26E(1)(b), (d) |
| Freestanding Sign (Garden Apartments) | — | 32 square feet | — | At least 20 feet from all lot lines | — | At least 20 feet from all lot lines | — | §350-26E(1)(c) |

### Industrial districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Any Sign permitted in Residential and Office Professional Districts | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §350-26E(3)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Business/Professional) | — | 100 square feet | — | — | One per building | Attached to main building, advertising on-premises business | — | §350-26E(3)(c) |
| Freestanding Sign (Business/Professional) | — | 100 square feet | — | Not closer than 10 feet to a lot line | One per business premises per street frontage | Not closer than 10 feet to a lot line | — | §350-26E(3)(d) |
| Billboard or Outdoor Advertising Sign (L-I District Only) | 65 feet from grade (including copy extensions) | 672 square feet per sign face (each direction) | — | Front yard: 15 feet; side/rear: 10 feet | — | Only in L-I District (subject to conditions); minimum 1,500 feet from residential zone boundary; minimum 1,000 feet between billboards on same side of roadway. | — | §350-26E(3)(e)[1-9] |

### L-I District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Billboard or Outdoor Advertising Sign | 65 feet (including copy extensions) | 672 square feet per sign face (each direction), copy extensions up to 10% more | — | Front: 15 ft; Side/Rear: 10 ft | — | Only in L-I District. Minimum 1,500 ft from residential zone boundary; minimum 1,000 ft between billboards on same side of roadway | — | §350-26E(3)(e)[1-9] |
| Any Sign permitted in Residential and Office Professional Districts | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §350-26E(3)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Business/Professional) | — | 100 square feet | — | — | One per building | Attached to main building | — | §350-26E(3)(c) |
| Freestanding Sign (Business/Professional) | — | 100 square feet | — | Not closer than 10 ft to a lot line | One per business premises per street frontage | Not closer than 10 ft to a lot line | — | §350-26E(3)(d) |

## Prohibited signs in South River Borough

- No outdoor sign or other form of exterior advertising shall be erected or maintained unless it complies with the requirements of this subsection and those established for the zoning district in which such sign is located.
- Nonconforming signs may not be enlarged, relocated, altered or rebuilt.
- No sign shall be erected, used or maintained which in any way simulates official, directional or warning signs erected or maintained by the state, county, Borough or any public utility or similar agency concerned with protection of public health or safety.
- No sign other than official traffic control or street signs shall be erected within or encroach upon the right-of-way of any street.
- No sign may obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or opening intended to provide light or ingress and egress to or from any building or structure except as herein provided.
- Animated or flashing, flickering, or LED-style signs using mechanical or electrical devices to revolve, flash or display movement or the illusion of movement, except for clocks or weather information, are prohibited.
- Signs projecting more than one foot from the wall of a building are prohibited.
- No portion of any sign shall be located within or suspended over a public right-of-way or pedestrian walkway.
- No foreign signs, objects, bulletins, notices or any other matter shall be placed or posted upon the utility poles owned by the South River Utility Department unless written approval and/or consent has been obtained from the Borough Council.
- No person shall paint or cause to be painted or permit anyone in his employ to paint any kind of advertising matter or signs on any sidewalk.

## Signs exempt from permit in South River Borough

- Residential nameplate signs and professional nameplate signs indicating the name and profession of the occupant of a dwelling, provided such signs do not exceed two square feet in area and are not lighted between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
- Temporary signs inside windows of commercial establishments, provided that these signs shall not unreasonably obstruct light and visibility and shall be removed within seven days after completion of the business being advertised.
- Temporary signs of nonprofit or charitable organizations, provided that such signs do not exceed 32 square feet in area, and are removed within seven days after completion of the event or function.
- Bulletin boards not over 24 square feet in area for public, charitable or religious institutions when located on the premises of said institutions.
- On-site directional and parking signs, warning signs and signs posting property as 'private property,' 'no-trespassing' or similar, not to exceed two square feet in area.
- Temporary signs denoting the architect, engineer or contractor when placed upon work under construction and not exceeding 16 square feet in area; must be removed within seven days of issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
- Temporary signs indicating a political preference or a political event, within area limits as prescribed (32 square feet in nonresidential zones, 6 square feet in residential), removed within 14 days after completion of the event.
- Garage sale signs located on the premises only, not exceeding two square feet and containing the date of sale, removed within 24 hours after the last day of sale.
- Real estate signs temporarily advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises or portion thereof, not exceeding nine square feet, removed within seven days after the purpose of the sign is fulfilled.
- Subdivision signs for a subdivision of more than two contiguous lots: one sign along each road abutting the tract, not exceeding 40 square feet, removed within seven days after the purpose is fulfilled.
- Signs of a noncommercial nature and in the public interest, erected by or on the order of a public officer in the performance of his public duty, such as safety signs, memorial plaques, signs of historical interest and the like.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- There shall be a consistent design theme among signs in a shopping center.
- No explicit reference to a required master sign plan, sign plan, or variance meeting was found in the provided text.

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

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