# Sign Regulations in Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/upper-deerfield-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/15139592#15139592)

## At a glance

Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey regulates 25 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Local Retail/Personal Service/Convenience Store/Eating-Drinking)s in the Commercial District zoning district are capped at 20 ft tall and 15 sq ft, with a 15 ft from all street rights-of-way and lot lines setback (Sec. § 405-31E(5)). Most commercial signs in Upper Deerfield Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 12 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| Residential District | 2 | 8 ft | 40 sq ft | — |
| Commercial District | 9 | 30 ft | 200 sq ft | — |
| Industrial District | 2 | 20 ft | 150 sq ft | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Government or Utility Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 405-31A(1) |
| Identification Sign (Public and Quasi-Public Facility) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 405-31A(2) |
| Memorial or Historical Marker or Tablet | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 405-31A(3) |
| On-site Real Estate Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per 200 ft of road frontage | On premises being sold, rented or leased | — | § 405-31A(4) |
| Street Number, Postal Box, On-site Directional, Parking, Warning, No Trespassing, No Hunting, or Similar Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 405-31A(5) |
| Daily or Diurnal Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | 15 ft from roadway edge | 3 per property | On business premises, not in public right-of-way, min. 15 ft from roadway edge | — | § 405-31A(6) |
| Banner, Flag or Pennant (Daily) | — | 16 sq ft per banner, flag, or pennant | — | — | 3 per property | On business premises, not in public right-of-way | — | § 405-31A(7) |
| Yard Sale Directional Sign | — | 24 in x 18 in (3 sq ft) | — | — | 4 per yard sale | Off-premises, must comply with ordinance location provisions | — | § 405-31E(23) |

### Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Local Retail/Personal Service/Convenience Store/Eating-Drinking) | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business front, 1 per rear/side entrance (nonilluminated) | Front of building facade | — | § 405-31E(5) |
| Freestanding Sign (Local Retail/Personal Service/Convenience Store/Eating-Drinking) | 20 ft | 15 sq ft | — | 15 ft from all street rights-of-way and lot lines | 1 per qualifying use | On arterial or collector road frontage | — | § 405-31E(5) |
| Wall Sign (Retail sale/funeral home/animal boarding/theaters/indoor commercial recreation) | — | 120 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Front of building; additional street-facing sides (not minor streets) | — | § 405-31E(7) |
| Freestanding Sign (Retail sale/funeral home/animal boarding/theaters/indoor commercial recreation) | 20 ft | 40 sq ft | — | 100 ft from residential and 15 ft from right-of-way | 1 per street frontage (conditions apply) | On arterial or collector road, 200 ft unbroken frontage required | — | § 405-31E(7) |
| Shopping Center Freestanding Identification Sign | 30 ft | 200 sq ft | — | 25 ft from rights-of-way/driveways, 50 ft from property line | 1 per eligible frontage | Along arterial/collector road, 250 ft unbroken frontage required | — | § 405-31E(11) |
| Shopping Center Wall Sign (Individual Tenant) | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per use | Front wall of individual tenant | — | § 405-31E(11)(a) |
| Service Station/Repair Garage/Car Wash — Freestanding Sign | 20 ft | 20 sq ft | — | 15 ft from street rights-of-way/lot lines | 1 per site | — | — | § 405-31E(12) |
| Service Station/Repair Garage/Car Wash — Attached Sign | — | 30 sq ft | — | — | 1 main front; additional bay/service area signs | Flat against front facade | — | § 405-31E(12) |

### Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business/Occupant Sign (Laboratory/Industrial/Manufacturing/Processing/Wholesale/Construction/Metalworking) | — | 100 sq ft | — | 15 ft from street right-of-way; 50 ft from lot lines | 1 per use | Attached or freestanding | — | § 405-31E(13) |
| Industrial Park Freestanding Identification Sign | 20 ft | 150 sq ft | — | 20 ft from street rights-of-way and driveways; 100 ft from any property line | 1 per eligible frontage | Along arterial/collector road with at least 250 ft unbroken frontage | — | § 405-31E(14) |

## Prohibited signs in Upper Deerfield Township

- No sign shall be erected, reerected, constructed, altered, placed or maintained except as provided for in this chapter.
- No sign of any type shall be permitted to obstruct driver vision, traffic signals, traffic directional and identification signs, other places of business, signs or windows of buildings on which they are located, or fire escapes, doors and ventilation openings or other essential or required facilities or equipment.
- No sign shall be attached to trees, fence posts, stumps, utility poles, bridges, culverts or other signs.
- All signs shall be freestanding or attached to buildings in an approved manner.
- No attached sign shall project into or hang over a street right-of-way, and no sign shall project beyond a building in a manner placing it above areas traversed by motor vehicles, such as but not limited to driveways or parking areas.
- Illuminated signs shall be so arranged as to reflect the light glare away from adjoining premises and away from adjoining streets and/or rights-of-way.
- No sign shall be illuminated between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. unless the business or use so advertised by said sign is open to the public later than 1:00 a.m.
- No sign shall be erected containing information which states or implies that a property may be used for any purpose not permitted under the provisions of this chapter.
- No sign shall be erected within any sight triangle area as required by § 405-62.
- Signs are prohibited in all districts with red, green or blue illumination in a beam, beacon or flashing form resembling an emergency light.
- Portable signs, i.e., fixed on a movable stand which is self-supporting without being firmly embedded in the ground, supported by other objects, mounted on wheels or movable vehicles or made easily movable in some other manner are prohibited.
- Signs using mechanical or electrical devices to revolve, flash or display movement or the illusion of movement are prohibited.
- Signs with any lighting or control mechanism which cause radio or television interference are prohibited.
- Any sign which is such a form, character or shape as to confuse or dangerously distract the attention of the operator of a motor vehicle is prohibited.
- Any advertising which uses a series of two or more signs or units placed in a line parallel to the highway or in similar fashion, all carrying a single advertising message, part of which is contained on each sign, is prohibited.
- Signs which simulate official, functional, directional or warning signs erected or maintained by governmental or public utility entities are prohibited.
- Any sign located on a lot other than the lot occupied by the use, event, product or activity which said sign advertises is prohibited.
- Spinners, balloons, or other aerial devices, inflatable figures, or any other moving object used for advertising purposes, whether containing a message or not, are prohibited except by permit as provided herein.
- Any sign exceeding the maximum height of 35 feet or more than 35 feet above grade level is prohibited.
- Signs bearing texts of a laudatory nature or including services or product names normally furnished by such establishment or proprietor, other than identification and directional purposes, are prohibited.
- Any sign which, applying contemporary control standards, has as its dominant theme or purpose an appeal to prurient interests is prohibited.
- No political signs or signs expressing an opinion with respect to a subject relating to politics shall be placed upon any property owned by the Township of Upper Deerfield.

## Signs exempt from permit in Upper Deerfield Township

- All signs and signals owned and operated by the Township of Upper Deerfield, the County of Cumberland, the State of New Jersey or the United States of America not exceeding two square feet in area are permitted without obtaining a zoning permit.
- Identification signs for public and quasi-public facilities, such as schools, churches, hospitals or libraries, not exceeding two square feet in area are permitted without a zoning permit.
- Memorial or historical markers or tablets, not exceeding four square feet in area are permitted without a zoning permit.
- Customary on-site real estate signs temporarily advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises or portions thereof and professional office or home occupation nameplates, not exceeding six square feet in area and in accordance with frontage and removal requirements, are permitted without a zoning permit.
- Street number designations, postal boxes, on-site directional and parking signs, warning signs and signs posting property as 'Private Property,' 'No Hunting,' 'No Trespassing' or similar signs not exceeding two square feet in area are permitted without a zoning permit.
- Daily or diurnal signs not exceeding six square feet in area, placed only between dawn and dusk and not in the public right-of-way (no more than three per property per day), are permitted without a zoning permit.
- Banners, flags, or pennants not exceeding 16 square feet per item, displayed daily between dawn and dusk, not in the right-of-way, and no more than three per property, are permitted without a zoning permit.
- Temporary signs which are traditional holiday or seasonal greeting or decoration, not advertising a specific product, service or establishment, do not require a permit, provided they are not a public hazard.
- Temporary signs announcing or advertising any educational, charitable, civic, professional or religious program, project or event, not exceeding 32 square feet and not displayed for more than 21 consecutive days in a calendar year, are permitted without a permit.
- Temporary signs advertising political parties or candidates for election not exceeding 32 square feet and displayed for a reasonable time before an election do not require a permit (subject to removal within 60 days after the election).
- Temporary signs advertising a civic, charitable, political, religious, professional or similar activity, event, program or project erected by a nonprofit organization do not require a sign or zoning permit so long as they meet all requirements in the ordinance.
- A maximum of four temporary off-premises directional signs for a yard sale measuring not over 24 inches by 18 inches each do not require a sign permit, provided all such signs are removed within three days after the sale.
- Signs located entirely within a structure and not visible from the exterior, including through windows or entrances, are not subject to control or regulation under these ordinance standards.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No sign shall be erected, reerected, constructed, altered, placed or maintained except as provided for in this chapter (§ 405-31).
- Applications for a sign permit shall be submitted to the Zoning Officer when the sign to be erected or installed is for an existing use or structure and is not part of a development requiring site plan review. The Zoning Officer may either issue a permit, require full site plan review, or deny the permit.
- In the case of signs which are to be erected or installed in connection with a proposed development requiring site plan review, said signs shall be reviewed as part of the site plan, with appropriate details of any proposed sign(s) submitted along with all other site plan information.
- Shopping centers: All signs in a shopping center shall conform in character to all other signs in the complex and shall blend with the overall architectural scheme of the shopping center structure.
- For uses not generally approximating those set forth in § 405-31E as to sign details, the Zoning Officer may issue a sign permit for one sign not to exceed 50 square feet and meeting setback requirements; all other cases require approval (variance) of the Planning Board guided by standards for other/similar uses and general area character.
- Signs proposed for hanging or draping across a public street, road or right-of-way shall require a sign permit and compliance with all applicable regulations.
- Whenever a land use or activity has approved access on more than one roadway, the Planning Board may permit additional freestanding signs; the Board will determine size and location based on specific sign standards.
- Extensions of time for real estate development sign removal may be granted by the Planning Board upon submission of evidence justifying continuation of the sign permit.

## 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 Upper Deerfield Township — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Upper+Deerfield+Township+NJ&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-upper-deerfield-township

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