# Sign Regulations in Vernon Township, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Vernon Township, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/vernon-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/11390005#11390005)

## At a glance

Vernon Township, New Jersey regulates 18 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Banner Signs in the Nonresidential zoning district are capped at 8 feet (measured from ground to top of sign) tall, 36 sq ft; 12'L x 3'H, and 12 feet wide, with a 12 feet from road edge setback (Sec. 330-180H(1)). Most commercial signs in Vernon Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nonresidential | 8 | 10 feet | 50% of total window area | — |
| Off-premises, Nonresidential | 1 | 8 feet | 36 sq ft; 12'L x 3'H | — |
| Residential districts | 4 | 4 feet | 8 sq ft (residential districts) | — |
| C-1, C-2, C-3, CR, TC Districts | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 8 feet | 36 sq ft; 12'L x 3'H | — |

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

### Nonresidential

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Banner Sign | 8 feet (measured from ground to top of sign) | 36 sq ft; 12'L x 3'H | 12 feet | 12 feet from road edge | 1 per lot | Min 12 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(1) |
| Grand Opening Sign (Pennants on Streamers/String) | 8 feet (measured from ground to top of sign) | 36 sq ft; 12'L x 3'H | 12 feet | 12 feet from road edge | 1 per lot | Min 12 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(5) |
| Ground Sign | 10 feet | 30 sq ft | — | 5 feet from road edge | 1 per business occupancy | Min 5 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(6) |
| Pedestal or Sandwich Sign | 4 feet (measured from ground to top of sign) | 8 sq ft; 2'W x 4'H | 2 feet | 5 feet from road edge | Up to 2 per property | Min 5 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(9) |
| Projecting Sign | Bottom edge at least 8 ft above walk or ground | 16 sq ft; 4'L x 4'H | 4 feet | — | 1 | Affixed to building in nonresidential zone, no projection into ROW | — | 330-180H(12) |
| Wall Sign | Not above the highest point of the façade | 30% of first story/ground level facade, up to 40 sq ft | — | — | No more than one per face of building fronting on street | Front of building (except on corner properties) | — | 330-180H(15) |
| Window Sign (Temporary) | — | 50% of total window area | — | — | 1 per window | Affixed to inside of window or glass door portion in nonresidential zones | — | 330-180H(16) |
| Special Event Sign | 8 feet | 36 sq ft; 12'L x 3'H | 12 feet | — | 1 per lot | See Zoning Official | — | 330-180H(14) |

### Residential districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Garage Sale Sign | 4 feet | 4 sq ft; 2'W x 2'H | 2 feet | 5 feet from road edge | 1 | Min 5 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(4) |
| Maintenance/Service Sign (Lawn/Yard Sign) | 4 feet | 4 sq ft; 2'W x 2'H | 2 feet | 5 feet from road edge | 1 per site | Min 5 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(7) |
| Real Estate Sign - For Sale/Lease/Sold | — | 8 sq ft (residential districts) | — | 5 feet from road edge | 1 per lot | Min 5 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(13)(a) |
| Real Estate Sign - Open House | 4 feet | 6 sq ft | — | 5 feet from road edge | 1 in addition to "for sale/lease" sign | Min 5 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(13)(b) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Construction Sign | 8 feet | 16 sq ft; 4'L x 4'H | 4 feet | 5 feet from road edge | 1 per construction site/lot | Principal entrance; min 5 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(3) |
| Maintenance/Service Sign (Lawn/Yard Sign) | 4 feet | 4 sq ft; 2'L x 2'H | 2 feet | 5 feet from road edge | 1 per site | Min 5 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(7) |
| New Occupancy Sign | 8 feet | 36 sq ft; 12'L x 3'H | 12 feet | 12 feet from road edge | 1 per lot | Min 12 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(8) |
| Political Event Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 330-180H(10) |
| Professional Occupation Sign | 8 feet | 4 sq ft; 2'L x 2'H | 2 feet | 10 feet from road edge | 1 | Min 10 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(11) |
| Real Estate Sign - For Sale/Lease/Sold | — | 8 sq ft (residential districts); 16 sq ft (all other districts) | — | 5 feet from road edge | 1 per lot | Min 5 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(13)(a) |
| Real Estate Sign - Open House | 4 feet | 6 sq ft | — | 5 feet from road edge | 1 in addition to 'for sale/lease/sold' sign | Min 5 feet from road edge | — | 330-180H(13)(b) |

## Prohibited signs in Vernon Township

- No sign shall be erected, constructed, or maintained so as to obstruct any fire escape, or any window, door, or opening used as a means of egress or for firefighting purposes, or so as to prevent free passage from one part of a roof to any other part thereof.
- No sign shall be erected or placed so as to obstruct sight distance or obstruct pedestrian access.
- All signs not expressly permitted pursuant to this section shall be prohibited.
- String banners, string flags, aluminum ribbons or similar attention-getting devices, except as a temporary sign (e.g., Grand Opening), are prohibited.
- Illuminated signs which flash, spell, or display any portion intermittently are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs which are menaces to public safety or which obstruct the views of any street, intersection, or crosswalk are prohibited.
- Signs placed on public sidewalks or rights-of-way are prohibited.
- Revolving, rotating, or moving signs are prohibited.
- Erecting a sign less or more distant from the lot line or edge of pavement than prescribed by this section is prohibited.
- Signs that extend above the roof line of the structure to which it is affixed are prohibited.
- Temporary signs which are illuminated are prohibited.
- Billboards are prohibited.
- Any flashing, moving, animated, or sequentially lighted signs are prohibited.
- Any sign whose lighting or central mechanism causes radio or television interference is prohibited.
- Real estate directional signs are prohibited.
- Signs utilizing the colors red or green in their illuminations within 100 feet of a signalized intersection are prohibited.
- Signs which resemble, simulate, or may be mistaken for a traffic sign within 20 feet of a roadway are prohibited.
- Attaching a sign to, or painting or otherwise marking letters, logos, or other expressions on, a utility pole, tree, rock, or natural feature of any kind is prohibited.
- Signs affixed or painted on water towers or similar structures are prohibited.
- Signs which obstruct motorists' vision (site triangle), traffic signs or signals, or business identification signs outside the lot on which the business is located are prohibited.
- All billboards, signboards, advertising signs, vehicular signage, or devices not expressly related to the business being conducted on the premises, including certain vehicular advertising, are prohibited.
- Off-premises signs or other off-site commercial signs are prohibited (except one off-site sign may be erected on the previous site of a business which has relocated for not more than 30 days).
- Exhibiting statements, words, pictures, or images of an obscene or pornographic nature on signs is prohibited.
- Signs emitting a sound, odor, or visible matter such as smoke or vapor are prohibited.
- Signs must be maintained in good repair; broken or nonoperative electrical signs must be repaired or removed.
- Nonconforming signs may not be enlarged or altered to increase nonconformity.
- At termination of use of a premises, all associated signs and supports must be removed within 10 days unless extension is granted.

## Signs exempt from permit in Vernon Township

- Customary holiday decorations displayed for a normal duration (with specific lighting conditions and timeframes for certain districts).
- Residential nameplates.
- Traffic control signs that meet Department of Transportation standards and contain no commercial message.
- Signs for official, governmental, or quasi-governmental business, including public or quasi-public event signs posted or displayed with the permission of the Zoning Official or governing body.
- Flags of the United States, State of New Jersey, Township of Vernon, foreign nations with diplomatic relations, or other flags adopted by elective legislative bodies, subject to area and height limitations and protocol standards.
- Flags honoring and remembering military and service men and women of the United States.
- Public safety signs.
- Signs displayed by places of worship.
- Any public notice or warning or safety sign required by law.
- Any sign indicating the name of a building and/or date of construction and/or other incidental information about construction, made integral to the building, not exceeding 4 square feet in area.
- Signs forbidding trespassing, hunting, fishing or trapping as authorized by law, not exceeding one square foot in size and no closer than 50 feet to another.
- Pump-mounted fuel price information signs, limited to one per pump, 260 sq. in., affixed directly to the pump and stationary.
- Regulation mailboxes of the United States Postal Service.
- Nothing in this section restricts or prohibits the erection or maintenance of legally authorized traffic or policing signs and markers.
- Permit fee requirement does not apply to: temporary window signs; temporary signs of a political nature; temporary signs advertising charitable fund raising events; temporary real estate signs; temporary special event signs; security signs; maintenance/service signs; and general maintenance/upkeep or change of advertising copy on existing permitted signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit must be filed with the Zoning Office before most signs (temporary or permanent) can be erected or displayed.
- A no-fee permit is required for certain temporary signs (such as banners, event signs, garage sale signs); a fee permit is required for others (such as ground, wall, or projecting signs), as specified in each case.
- Permit fees are collected for all new signs and all signs replacing existing signs except for specified exemptions (listed above).
- Approval by the Zoning Official is required for any change in lettering, content, size, construction, location, or lighting of a nonconforming sign.
- Enlargement or alteration to increase nonconformity of existing nonconforming signs requires approval by the Land Use Board.

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

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