# Sign Regulations in Union, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Union, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/union
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-26

## At a glance

Union, New Jersey regulates 25 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Nonresidential districts, Business and Industrial Zone zoning district are capped at 20 ft tall and Greater of 1 sq ft per 10 linear ft of street frontage or 24 sq ft, with a 10 ft from street right-of-way and 10 ft from side lot lines setback (Sec. §223-45C(1); §223-45A, §223-45F). Most commercial signs in Union require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nonresidential districts, Business and Industrial Zone | 8 | 20 ft | 25% (primary frontage), 15% (additional frontage) of glass area per window | — |
| Residential districts, R District | 8 | 8 ft | 16 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 9 | — | 16 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Nonresidential districts, Business and Industrial Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft | Greater of 1 sq ft per 10 linear ft of street frontage or 24 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way and 10 ft from side lot lines | 1 per single development or lot | Minimum setback of 10 ft from street right-of-way; 10 ft from side lot lines. | — | §223-45C(1); §223-45A, §223-45F |
| Wall Sign (Primary Street Frontage) | — | Lesser of 10% of building face or 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Mounted on building face along street frontage; must not extend beyond wall ends/top. | — | §223-45C(2)(a)-(e); §223-45A; §223-45F |
| Wall Sign (Multiple Street Frontages) | — | Lesser of 10% of building face or 24 sq ft per frontage | — | — | 1 per street frontage | One wall sign per street frontage | — | §223-45C(2)(c)-(d); §223-45A; §223-45F |
| Window Sign (Ground Floor) | — | 10% of window area on which it is located | — | — | — | Windows on ground floor (can be affixed or display signs) | — | §223-45C(3)(a), (c) |
| Window Sign (Second Floor Professional Office) | — | 25% (primary frontage), 15% (additional frontage) of glass area per window | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On one window per permitted second-floor office use, per frontage | — | §223-45C(3)(b), (c) |
| Announcement/Professional Sign (Second Floor Entrance) | — | 1.5 sq ft | — | — | 1 per occupancy per entrance | Main entrance or secondary entrance of second-floor occupancy | — | §223-45G(18) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | — | Max width 25 ft or width of building; projection from building max 3 ft (1st floor), 18 in (2nd floor) | — | — | On awning/canopy/marquee attached to building, max projection as above | — | §223-45I |
| Temporary Sign | — | 12 sq ft unless otherwise permitted | — | — | — | — | — | §223-45E |

### Residential districts, R District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign (R District) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property | On premises for sale/rental/lease | — | §223-45D(1) |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential districts - other uses) | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property | On premises for sale/rental/lease | — | §223-45D(1) |
| Residential Nameplate | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | — | On residence | — | §223-45D(2) |
| Multifamily Identification Sign | 8 ft | 1 sq ft per 10 linear ft of street frontage, not to exceed 32 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per frontage | At major traffic entrance of multifamily development | — | §223-45D(3) |
| Professional Nameplate | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 1 per occupancy | On premises | — | §223-45D(4) |
| Bulletin Board/Institutional Sign | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On premises of institution | — | §223-45D(5) |
| Contractor/Construction Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from curb | 1 | At work site under construction | — | §223-45D(6) |
| Memorial Sign/Tablet | — | — | — | — | — | On residence/building | — | §223-45D(7) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign (Exemption) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises for sale/rental/lease | — | §223-45A(3)(i)[1] |
| Residential Nameplate (Exemption) | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | — | On residence | — | §223-45A(3)(i)[2] |
| Contractor/Construction Sign (Exemption) | — | 16 sq ft | — | At least 15 ft from curb | — | At a work site under construction | — | §223-45A(3)(i)[3] |
| Memorial Sign/Tablet (Exemption) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §223-45A(3)(i)[4] |
| Traffic/Municipal/Government Sign (Exemption) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §223-45A(3)(i)[5] |
| Holiday Decorations or Lights (Exemption) | — | — | — | — | — | Residential/nonresidential premises | — | §223-45A(3)(i)[7] |
| Traffic Directional Sign On Premises | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises | — | §223-45A(3)(i)[8] |
| Political Sign | — | — | — | — | — | View of the general public | — | §223-45A(3)(i)[9] |

## Prohibited signs in Union

- No sign shall be erected, altered, located, or relocated without an application and permit, except as otherwise provided.
- No commercial outdoor advertising signs, billboards, or other signs not directly related to the business being conducted on the premises and not conforming to the ordinance are permitted; all other such commercial outdoor advertising signs, billboards, and other nonconforming signs are specifically prohibited.
- It is unlawful to display obscene, indecent, or immoral matter on any sign or advertising structure.
- No billboard or billboard sign 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 sign shall include a silhouetted or three-dimensional design, including signage lacking a background with letters, figures, or objects silhouetted against the sky or open space.
- No roof sign shall be permitted. No sign shall project beyond the side or top of the wall to which it is affixed.
- No sign shall be erected, painted, or composed of fluorescent, phosphorescent, or similar material.
- No sign shall be flashing, intermittent, moving, fluttering, or revolving, in whole or in part.
- No sign shall emit sound, odor, or visible matter such as smoke or vapor. No sign may contain audio equipment.
- The use of awnings or canopies as signs is prohibited unless there is no facade area available for a wall sign. Internal illumination of awnings or canopies is prohibited.
- No sign shall be erected, relocated, or maintained so as to prevent free ingress to or egress from any door, window, or fire escape, and no sign shall be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
- Projecting signs perpendicular to a wall or placed at right angles to a facade/building face, and hanging signs are strictly prohibited.
- No signs shall extend more than six inches in depth from a building facade.
- Signs in a state of disrepair or abandoned must be removed within 30 calendar days.
- Permanent signs, awnings, or canopies shall not contain references to the set pricing of products and services.
- Signs must not interfere with architectural details or openings for ventilation.
- No sign shall consist of more than four colors, including the background color.
- Facsimile and telephone numbers are prohibited on all signs.
- No temporary signs made of paper, cardboard, canvas, or similar material are permitted, except as specifically allowed.
- Signs affixed to vehicles, trailers, or automobile windows parked to be visible from a public right-of-way for advertising are prohibited (except for incidental signs, e.g., permanent lettering or pricing related to vehicle sales).
- No sign (or advertising structure) shall be erected at street intersections so as to obstruct free and clear vision or create confusion with traffic signage.
- No sign shall be internally illuminated by neon gas-filled tubes.
- No illuminated sign except as specifically provided.
- No sign shall be externally illuminated by more than one floodlight per sign surface; lighting must be grade-level and shielded to prevent glare.
- No sign shall be artificially illuminated after 11:00 p.m. or before 7:00 a.m. unless premises are occupied and attended, except in business and industrial zones.
- No sign may be attached in a way that interferes with ventilation or architectural details.
- No hanging signs permitted (as reaffirmed under nonconforming signs removal).
- No signage is permitted on any canopies or awnings, unless no facade area is available for a wall sign.
- Awnings, canopies, and marquees shall not be permitted above the first floor, except awnings may be permitted on the second floor under specific conditions.
- Awnings shall not be illuminated and shall not display any graphic, logo, or business name.

## Signs exempt from permit in Union

- 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.
- Signs identifying the architect, engineer, or contractor placed upon a work site under construction, not exceeding 16 square feet, set back at least 15 feet from the curb and removed within 24 hours after final certificate of occupancy.
- 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, temporary, emergency, or nonadvertising signs, or signs of any governmental agency as necessary to public welfare.
- Flags of the United States, State of New Jersey, or other governmental or quasi-public agencies, subject to reasonable size and location.
- Holiday decorations and lights on residential and nonresidential premises.
- Signs erected to control movement of traffic on premises, providing only traffic directions, not advertising, maximum four square feet in area, and approved by appropriate authority.
- Political signs, notices, posters, or other devices conveying a pre-election political message or soliciting votes when placed in public view.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No explicit requirement for a master sign plan or comprehensive sign plan is stated in this ordinance section.
- Application and permit are required for all signs, except for the listed exemptions.
- For nonresidential signs, an application including site-specific details, renderings, photographs, and other required information must be submitted to the Construction Official for approval.
- Whenever there is a change in occupancy or ownership, an application for a sign permit is required.
- Permit applications must include scaled renderings, photographs showing context, and consent from owners if applicable.
- Temporary signs require prior approval and permit, except as specifically exempted.
- Exception and variance notes: Where an awning or canopy sign is requested due to inadequate façade area, determination is made by the Construction Official; no specific reference to variance meetings or boards.
- The Construction Official has the authority to determine if awning or canopy signs are permitted when no façade area is available for a wall sign.

## Full detail

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

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/union