# Sign Regulations in Ballston Town, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Ballston Town, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/ballston-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/6233271#6233271)

## At a glance

Ballston Town, New York regulates 19 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Business District, Rural Highway Transition District zoning district are capped at 12 feet tall and 32 square feet (per sign face), with a 35 feet from centerline of roadway, 15 feet from edge of pavement (§138-71C) setback (Sec. §138-82D(1)(b); (2); (4); (5)). Most commercial signs in Ballston Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 6 feet | 32 square feet (total per parcel); 6 feet max height | — |
| Rural District | 3 | — | 20 square feet | — |
| Light Industrial District | 5 | — | 40 square feet | — |
| Ballston Lake Residential District | 3 | — | 20 square feet | — |
| Business District, Rural Highway Transition District | 8 | 12 feet | 300 square feet (total across all wall signs), 150 square feet (max any one sign) | — |
| Burnt Hill Commercial District, Mixed-Use Ballston Lake District, Mixed Use Route 50/67 District | 6 | 8 feet | 100 sq ft (total); 50 sq ft max per sign | — |
| Billboard Overlay District | 1 | 30 feet | 700 sq ft total (both faces) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directional Sign | 4 feet | 2 square feet | — | — | 4 per establishment | Within 2 highway miles of the establishment | — | §138-70A(1)-(3) |
| Entrance and Exit Sign | 4 feet | 3 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | §138-70B(1)-(2) |
| Emergency Sign (Temporary) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §138-70C |
| Temporary Sign - Real Estate | — | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On premises for sale, lease, or construction | — | §138-70D(2) |
| Temporary Sign - Political/Campaign | 6 feet | 32 square feet (total per parcel); 6 feet max height | — | — | One per candidate per parcel; 32 sq ft total for all such signs | — | — | §138-70D(3) |
| Temporary Sign - Event | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §138-70D(4) |
| Interior Sign (for exterior viewing) | — | — | — | — | — | Wholly within a building | — | §138-81 |

### Business District, Rural Highway Transition District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 300 square feet (total across all wall signs), 150 square feet (max any one sign) | — | 35 feet from centerline of roadway, 15 feet from edge of pavement (§138-71C) | 1 principal wall sign (plus up to 1 principal freestanding sign); see aggregate limitations | Building wall | — | §138-82D(1)(a); (2); (3); (6) |
| Freestanding Sign | 12 feet | 32 square feet (per sign face) | — | 35 feet from centerline of roadway, 15 feet from edge of pavement (§138-71C) | 1; 2 if two curb cuts on separate streets | On same lot as business | — | §138-82D(1)(b); (2); (4); (5) |
| Window Sign | — | 30% of contiguous window area per sign, not to exceed 0.5 sq ft per linear foot of building frontage in aggregate | — | — | 4 maximum | Inside window | — | §138-82D(1)(c); (7) |
| Permanent Changeable Message Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §138-82D(1)(d); §138-85 |
| Temporary Portable Roadside Changeable Message Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §138-82D(1)(e) |
| Special Sales Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §138-82D(1)(f) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On awning or canopy | — | §138-82D(1)(g) |
| LED Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §138-85 |

### Burnt Hill Commercial District, Mixed-Use Ballston Lake District, Mixed Use Route 50/67 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 100 sq ft (total); 50 sq ft max per sign | — | 35 feet from centerline of roadway, 15 feet from edge of pavement (§138-71C) | 1 principal wall sign (plus up to 1 principal freestanding sign); see aggregate limitations | Building wall | — | §138-82E(1)(a); (2); (3); (5) |
| Freestanding Sign | 8 feet | 32 sq ft (per sign face) | — | 35 feet from centerline of roadway, 15 feet from edge of pavement (§138-71C) | 1 principal freestanding sign | On same lot as business | — | §138-82E(1)(b); (2); (4) |
| Window Sign | — | 30% of contiguous window area per sign, not to exceed 0.5 sq ft per linear foot of building frontage in aggregate | — | — | 4 maximum | Inside window | — | §138-82E(1)(c); (6) |
| Permanent Changeable Message Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §138-82E(1)(d) |
| Special Sales Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §138-82E(1)(e) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On awning or canopy | — | §138-82E(1)(f) |

## Prohibited signs in Ballston Town

- Signs shall be nonflashing.
- Illumination shall not cause glare which adversely affects neighboring properties and traffic.
- Signs shall be nonanimated and nonrevolving.
- Signs, freestanding, mounted or temporary, may not exceed 25 feet in height from the extreme top of the sign to the ground.
- Signs shall not obstruct vision at intersections, driveways or entrances and exits to establishments.
- Signs shall not project beyond property lines or over public roads or sidewalks.
- Signs shall not be attached to public utility poles.
- No sign shall be placed on the roof of any building.
- No sign (excluding directional and temporary) shall not be accessory to the principal use where it is erected.
- Signs shall be maintained free of faulty wires, loose fastenings or any unsafe and hazardous conditions; dilapidated or unsafe signs may be ordered removed by the Building Inspector.
- LED signs are permitted only by special use permit in certain districts.
- No billboard or part thereof shall contain or consist of banners, posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, or other similar moving, fluttering or revolving devices.
- No billboards shall display advertising matter of an indecent or obscene nature.
- No billboard shall confuse, mislead or resemble any government billboard.
- No billboards shall have internal light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
- No billboard shall be erected on or attached to any building.
- No billboard shall be erected within 25 feet of any building.
- Signs must be constructed of durable materials and properly maintained.

## Signs exempt from permit in Ballston Town

- All signs and billboards in compliance with effective law at the time of the enactment of this chapter are exempt from restrictions, provided they are not altered or reconstructed except for minor repairs or refurbishment.
- All official, municipal, traffic, school, public utility signs, or other signs required by law or incidental to a legal proceeding are exempt.
- Directional signs not exceeding two square feet in area and four feet in height, limited up to four per establishment and within two highway miles, do not require a permit.
- Entrance and exit signs (bearing only words like 'enter,' 'entrance,' 'exit' or similar) not exceeding three square feet in area and four feet in height do not require a permit.
- Temporary emergency signs (such as caution, road closure, construction) do not require a permit.
- Unlit real estate signs advertising sale, lease, or construction not exceeding 12 square feet and located on the premises, one per street frontage, do not require a permit.
- Political and campaign signs erected within specified timing restrictions, one stationary sign per candidate per parcel not exceeding six feet in height and a total area of 32 square feet, do not require a permit.
- Temporary signs for specific events (e.g., garage sales, business sales, community functions) erected within specified timing restrictions do not require a permit.
- Signs contained wholly on the interior of a building for exterior viewing do not require a permit and are exempt from all other provisions of this chapter.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required prior to the erection, alteration, or reconstruction of any sign unless otherwise exempted by the ordinance.
- Signs part of a proposal requiring site plan approval or a special use permit shall be reviewed and approved as part of that application.
- Sign applications for billboards within the overlay zone require a special use permit and application for site plan review to the Planning Board.
- In the Light Industrial District, sign placement and number is regulated and approved by the Planning Board during site plan review.
- All sign permit applications must include a description and illustration of the sign, including its message, materials, size, dimensions, lighting, landscaping, and location. Signs reviewed as part of a site plan must show all sign locations.
- Applicants may apply to the Zoning Board of Appeals for an area variance if a permit is refused by the Building Inspector.

## 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 7 zoning districts in Ballston Town — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Ballston+Town+NY&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-ballston-town

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