# Sign Regulations in West New York Town, New Jersey

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

- **Jurisdiction:** West New York Town, New Jersey (NJ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-jersey/west-new-york-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/7059188#7059188)

## At a glance

West New York Town, New Jersey regulates 26 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Residential Districts zoning district are capped at 5 ft tall, with a 15 ft from lot line setback (Sec. §414-23A(2)). Most commercial signs in West New York Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts | 13 | 5 ft | 20 sq ft | — |
| Commercial Districts | 6 | 3 ft (from lowest point) | 40 sq ft | — |
| Industrial Districts | 5 | 3 ft (from lowest point) | 40 sq ft | — |
| Commercial and Industrial Districts | 5 | 40 ft | 100 sq ft (site <1 acre), 400 sq ft (site ≥1 acre) | — |
| Nonresidential Districts | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

## 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 | 5 ft | — | — | 15 ft from lot line | One per property, two if on corner. | Front yard, minimum 15 ft setback from lot line. | — | §414-23A(2) |
| Nameplate/Identification Sign | — | 1 sq ft (single-family); 6 sq ft (multi-dwelling) | — | — | One per dwelling, two on corner lot | Flat against building. | — | §338-13B(2), §414-23C(1) |
| Sales/Rental Sign (Real Estate) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 (or 2 for corner lot) | On property for sale/rent. | — | §338-13B(1), §414-23C(2) |
| Institutional Sign | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1, or 2 on corner lot | On premises of institution. | — | §338-10A, §414-23C(3) |
| Parking Area Identity/Condition Sign | — | 9 sq ft | — | — | 1 (or 2 if on corner lot) | At parking area | — | §338-10B(3), §414-23C(4)(b) |
| Development Sign (on-site) | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 (or 2 if on corner lot) | On property for sale/being developed | — | §338-10C, §414-23C(5) |
| Development Directional Sign (off-site) | 4 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per 500 ft street frontage | Off premises, as directional | — | §338-10C(2), §414-23C(6) |
| Awnings (Used as Signs) | 3 ft (from lowest point) | Not to project more than 3 ft from building; not wider than 12 ft or width of building (whichever is less); not more than 3 ft high from lowest point. | 12 ft or width of building (whichever is less) | — | — | Awning attached minimum 7 ft above sidewalk/ground. | — | §338-15A, §338-15C-D, §338-12F-G |

### Commercial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Single Commercial Occupancy) | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | — | On building frontage; complementary sign on nonbuilding frontage for corner lots. | — | §338-9A, §338-9D, §338-12 |
| Wall Sign (Multiple Commercial Occupancy) | — | 10% of building frontage area | — | — | — | On building frontage; complementary sign on nonbuilding frontage for corner units. | — | §338-9E |
| Wall Sign (Rear Customer Entrance) | — | No more than serves as complementary to building front signage | — | — | — | Rear entrance | — | §338-9F |
| Window Display Sign | — | Aggregate NOT to exceed 10% of total window area | — | — | — | Within window surface | — | §338-9B |
| Temporary Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §338-11 |
| Awnings (Used as Signs) | 3 ft (from lowest point) | Not to project more than 3 ft from building; not wider than 25 ft or width of building, whichever is less; not more than 3 ft high from lowest point. | 25 ft or width of building (whichever is less) | — | — | Minimum 7 ft above sidewalk | — | §338-15B-D, §338-12G |

### Commercial and Industrial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts Sign Types in Commercial and Industrial Districts | — | — | — | — | — | On residential portion of property | — | §338-9C, §414-24A |
| Freestanding Identification Sign (Shopping Centers/Industries, min. 1 acre site) | 40 ft | 75 sq ft | — | — | One per frontage (non residential street only) | At shopping center or industry frontage (minimum site size 1 acre) | — | §414-24H |
| Wall Sign (Commercial District, Each Business) | — | 40 sq ft per business | — | — | Not more than 1 per store per wall facing street | Flat against wall, shall not project more than 6 inches or beyond top/side of wall. | — | §414-24B, §414-24D-E |
| Wall Sign (Industrial District) | — | 100 sq ft (site <1 acre), 400 sq ft (site ≥1 acre) | — | — | Not more than 1 per wall facing street | Flat against wall per general rules. | — | §414-24C, §414-24D-E |
| Billboard (Industrial District Only) | — | — | — | — | — | Industrial sites only | — | §414-24G |

## Prohibited signs in West New York Town

- No person or persons shall write, paint or place any word(s), bills, signs, symbols, pictures or designs upon public property such as sidewalks, curbstones, fire hydrants, retaining walls, telephone poles, street lamp poles, public buildings, walls or structures or park benches, fences or park structures, bus shelters, telephone signal boxes and traffic light signal boxes, or anything deposited or erected in or upon any public street or highway.
- Signs painted on an exterior or a wall are prohibited.
- No temporary traffic control sign may be erected on any public street, structure, pole, tree, bus shelter, building, utility pole or bench without written approval from the Traffic Department.
- Any billboard is prohibited.
- Any freestanding sign is prohibited.
- Any sign placed, located, or displayed upon any sidewalk or area between sidewalk and curb, nor shall they project on or over a sidewalk.
- Any roof sign is prohibited.
- Any sign erected, painted or composed of fluorescent, phosphorescent or similar material is prohibited.
- Any sign which, in whole or in part, is moving, mobile or revolving is prohibited.
- Any sign erected, relocated or maintained so as to prevent free ingress or egress from any door, window or fire escape or attached to a standpipe or fire escape is prohibited.
- Any sign or other advertising structure erected at intersections which obstructs vision or confuses with traffic signs/signals or interferes with traffic is prohibited.
- Any sign other than an official traffic sign erected within the right-of-way of any street.
- Any sign or advertising structure which displays obscene, indecent, or immoral matter.
- Any sign erected on an antenna or tower contrary to other regulations.
- Any blade sign is prohibited.
- No sign shall hang over or obstruct another sign.
- Any sign placed on fences, walls, utility poles, trees, railway/road bridges, bridge supports/abutments, retaining walls, parking meters, or water towers is prohibited.
- Marquee signs are prohibited.
- No sign shall be flashing, running or blinking; all illumination must be fixed and solid.
- No sign's illumination shall exceed a color temperature of 8,500 nits.
- No sign in a residential district may be illuminated except by indirect shielded lighting illuminating the face of the sign.
- No sign's illumination may be on after 11:00 p.m. or before 7:00 a.m. if the business is closed.
- Any sign which is unsafe or insecure as deemed by the Zoning Officer must be removed.
- No person, firm or entity shall draw, paint, publish or affix any words, scrawl, sign, advertisement or public/private notice, sign or message on any bus shelter.
- No mechanical device, vending machine, bench or other device containing a sign, message or picture shall be installed in bus shelters, unless pursuant to a Town agreement.
- No sign shall be an illuminated sign except as provided.
- Signs which move or display animation are prohibited (no running/flashing/blinking/animated illumination).

## Signs exempt from permit in West New York Town

- Real estate signs not exceeding six square feet in area advertising the sale, rental or lease of property on which they're located, with only one per property unless on a corner lot.
- Residential nameplates identifying a single-family residence and/or street address, not exceeding one square foot in area (up to two for corner lots); for multi-unit dwellings, a sign up to six square feet.
- Bulletin boards or signs not over 16 square feet for public, charitable, or religious institutions, located on those premises.
- Architect, engineer, or contractor signs at a construction site, not more than six square feet, set back at least 15 feet from the curb, removed within 24 hours after certificate of occupancy.
- Memorial signs or tables, name/date of building, cut into masonry or made of bronze/other noncombustibles.
- Traffic, municipal signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signs, danger signs, and temporary/emergency/nonadvertising signs by governmental agency.
- Flags of the United States, State of New Jersey, or governmental/quasi-public agencies (with reasonable size/location).
- Holiday decorations and lights on residential premises.
- Directional/traffic control signs on premises that provide traffic directions only and are not used for advertising, not exceeding four square feet and approved by the agency.
- Official notices or advertisements by or under authority of public/court officers in official duties or by trustees under deeds of trust, removed no later than 10 days after their required display period.
- Political party signs or candidacy announcements if under two square feet in residential districts, or within maximum sign area of the district elsewhere; all to be removed within 10 days after the election.
- Signs advertising name, time, place of official or licensed fair, carnival, festival, bazaar, charity/civic/religious events, not exceeding 20 square feet (in residential), and removed within 10 days after the event.
- Trespassing warning signs not exceeding two square feet.
- No solicitation signs not exceeding one square foot.
- Danger warning signs (of any necessary size) so long as no advertising is included.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required for any sign to be erected, altered, located, or relocated, except those specifically exempted as per § 338-13B.
- Application for a permit must be made to the Zoning Officer (or Building Department for nonconforming signs), including required details and statement(s).
- Sign permit applications are triggered by installation of a new sign and/or change in occupancy or ownership.
- For nonconforming signs (not complying with ordinance), the application must go to the Building Department, submitted in writing, and may require public notice and public hearing where law requires; must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the public meeting of the appropriate authority, with certain documentation (including building elevations, details, etc.).
- Replacement of an existing sign may be approved by the Zoning Officer without Board approval only if there is no change or expansion, the replacement conforms to all code provisions, and no additional signage is proposed.
- All sign permit applicants must provide proof of public liability insurance for the sign erector.
- Any sign existing at ordinance adoption that is nonconforming and is associated with a change in occupancy or ownership requires an application to the appropriate authority.
- No permit, nor fee, is required for those categories of signs listed as exemptions in § 338-13B.

## 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 West New York Town — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=West+New+York+Town+NJ&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-west-new-york-town

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