# Sign Regulations in Bloomfield, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Bloomfield, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/bloomfield
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/36647101#36647101)

## At a glance

Bloomfield, New York regulates 42 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Noncommercial Speech)s in the Residential Complex zoning district are capped at 3 ft tall and 4 sq ft, with a 10 ft from public way or any property line setback (Sec. § 135-114A(2)(b)). Most commercial signs in Bloomfield require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 3 ft | 6 sq ft | — |
| Residential Simple | 5 | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — |
| Residential Complex | 10 | 5 ft | 16 sq ft | — |
| Business | 11 | 36 in | 25% of glass door area | — |
| Public and Semipublic Uses | 5 | 36 in | 24 in x 36 in | — |
| Farms | 6 | 3 ft | 4 sq ft (+ 1/4 sq ft per foot barn setback from ROW, if on barn) | — |
| Historic District Overlay Area | 1 | — | — | — |
| Other Uses | 1 | — | 1 sq ft per linear foot of building/fence/structure, 30 sq ft max | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### Residential Complex

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building-mounted Sign (Noncommercial Speech) | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 1 per residential unit | Building-mounted, near entrance | — | § 135-114A(2)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign (Noncommercial Speech) | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — | 10 ft from public way or any property line | 1 per residential unit | No closer than 10 ft to public way or property line | — | § 135-114A(2)(b) |
| Window Sign (Noncommercial Speech) | — | 1 sq ft or 20% of glass area, whichever is less | — | — | 1 per residential unit | In window | — | § 135-114A(1) |
| Building-mounted Sign (Home Occupation, 2-Family) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per unit (commercial speech) | On principal residence or first floor window, near entrance (alternately, freestanding) | — | § 135-114B(3), Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Home Occupation, 2-Family) | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — | 10 ft from public way or any property line | 1 per unit (commercial speech) | No closer than 10 ft to public way or property line | — | § 135-114B(3)(a) |
| Window Sign (Home Occupation, 2-Family) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per unit | In window | — | § 135-114B(3)(b) |
| Apartment Complex Sign - Flush Mounted | — | 1 sq ft/linear ft, 30 sq ft max | — | — | 1 per apartment complex | Flush to first floor facade | — | § 135-114D(1)(a) |
| Apartment Complex Sign - Freestanding | 5 ft | 16 sq ft per side | — | 10 ft from public way or any property line | 1 per apartment complex | No closer than 10 ft to public way/property line | — | § 135-114D(2) |

### Business

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Single Business, Building-mounted, Flush) | — | 1 sq ft/linear foot of frontage; 30 sq ft max | — | — | 1 | Flush to facade, first-floor, principal entrance | — | § 135-115B(1)(a), § 135-115 Table |
| Building-mounted Sign (Single Business, Right Angle/Perpendicular) | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Perpendicular to facade, same side as entrance | — | § 135-115B(1)(a)[2], § 135-115 Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Single Business) | 5 ft | 16 sq ft per side | — | 10 ft from public way/property line | 1 | No closer than 10 ft to public way/property line | — | § 135-115B(1)(b), § 135-115B(1)(b)[1], § 135-115 Table |
| Awning Sign | — | 1 sq ft/linear foot; 30 sq ft max | — | — | 1 per business with group arrangement if multiple businesses/entrances | Awning, first floor facade, over window allocated to business. | — | § 135-115B(3)(b), § 135-115 Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Commercial Complex) | 5 ft | 16 sq ft per side (directory: 1 sq ft/business) | — | 10 ft from public way | 1 per commercial complex (plus directory) | At entrance to commercial complex | — | § 135-115B(4)(b), § 135-115 Table |
| Directory Sign (Commercial Complex) | 5 ft (if freestanding) | — | — | — | 1 per complex | At or near building entrance; freestanding or flush-mounted | — | § 135-115B(4)(b) |
| Auxiliary Entrance Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per auxiliary entrance | At auxiliary entrance | — | § 135-115C(1), Table |
| Portable Sign / Sidewalk Sign | 36 in | 24 in x 36 in | 24 in | — | 1 per business | Displayed in front of business; if in plaza/center, may be placed near roadway. | — | § 135-115C(5) |

### Farms

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building-mounted Sign (Commercial Speech) | — | 4 sq ft (+ 1/4 sq ft per foot barn setback from ROW, if on barn) | — | — | 1 (commercial speech) | On principal residence, first floor near entrance, or barn; window, residence, or freestanding sign as alternatives. | — | § 135-117B(1)(b), (c) |
| Freestanding Sign (Commercial Speech) | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — | 10 ft from public way/property line | 1 (commercial speech) | No closer than 10 ft to public way/property line | — | § 135-117B(1)(a) |
| Window Sign (Commercial Speech) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 (commercial speech) | In window | — | § 135-117B(1)(b) |
| Crop Sign | — | — | — | 10 ft from public way/property line; 25 ft from each other | No limit | No closer than 10 ft to public way/property line, no closer than 25 ft to each other | — | § 135-117B(2) |
| Building-mounted Sign (Noncommercial Speech) | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 1 (noncommercial) | On building, near entrance | — | § 135-117C(1) |
| Freestanding Sign (Noncommercial Speech) | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — | 10 ft from public way/property line | 1 (noncommercial) | No closer than 10 ft to public way/property line | — | § 135-117C(2) |

## Prohibited signs in Bloomfield

- No sign shall be permitted in the Village of Bloomfield except in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.
- No sign shall be permitted to project into any public right-of-way, except a perpendicular sign in the Village Center District.
- No sign shall be attached to fences, streetlights, utility poles, or trees.
- No signs shall be permitted in any public right-of-way without permission of the Board of Trustees or other governmental agency having jurisdiction over the public right-of-way (unless otherwise specified).
- No signs, banners, flags, or other like advertising devices shall be permitted on the roof of any building or structure or be mounted so as to project above the eave line.
- No permanent or temporary sign shall be erected or placed at or near the intersection of any streets in such a manner as to cause a traffic hazard at the intersection.
- No permanent or temporary sign shall be erected or placed at any location where, by reason of the position, shape, color, or illumination of the sign, it may interfere with, obstruct the view of, or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal, or device.
- No sign may use any word, phrase, symbol, or character in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead, or confuse vehicle operators.
- No sign shall consist of animated or moving parts. Balloons, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, fluttering banners, or similar fluttering devices are not permitted, except for noncommercial events at a residence on the day of the event.
- Motion signs are prohibited, including: flashing, blinking, animated, rotating signs, or signs whose illumination, lettering, or projected surface change with time.
- Posted advertisements are not allowed in any residential district, and shall not be attached to trees, fences, utility poles, telephone booths, street furniture, public transit shelters, benches, or ATMs.
- No commercial speech sign shall be displayed unless such sign advertises a bona fide business currently being conducted.
- No sign shall contain obscene content as prohibited by New York Penal Law §235.05 or §245.11.
- Reflective signs are not allowed.
- All signs shall be installed and maintained in accordance with the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.
- No sign shall be constructed or maintained which has less clearance from communication lines and energized electrical power lines than prescribed by state law.
- No sign shall be allowed to be attached in any form to a fire escape or to any door or window giving access to any fire escape.
- The Village reserves the right to refuse any inappropriate content on community signs, including: vulgar or threatening language, personal attacks, discrimination, irrelevant or unintelligible comments, spam or external links, conduct encouraging illegal activity, info compromising public safety, violations of ownership interest, personally identifiable medical information, or content promoting products, services, or political causes.

## Signs exempt from permit in Bloomfield

- Political signs, provided they are not placed within a public right-of-way and are removed within 48 hours after the political event/election.
- Event signs (e.g. charitable organizations/churches advertising one-time events) do not require a permit; must be removed within 48 hours after the event.
- Garage sale/yard sale signs do not require a permit; must be removed within 24 hours after the event.
- "For sale," "for rent," "for lease," or "open for inspection" signs do not require a permit if one sign per premises, max six square feet, and proper setbacks. Temporary open house signs have additional allowances.
- Temporary construction signs do not require a permit (one per site, max 3 feet high and 6 square feet; removed after work is complete).
- Credit card signs/trade association emblems (up to 1 square foot, displayed flat on window or door surfaces); must be included in overall signage square footage calculation.
- Repainting of a conforming commercial speech sign, including color changes, is permitted without a permit as long as copy or logo does not change.
- Change of copy: noncommercial speech may replace all speech on any sign without a permit; portion of commercial speech may be replaced with noncommercial speech (so long as remaining commercial speech does not change) without a permit.
- Directional signs no larger than four square feet in size do not require a permit.
- Sidewalk signs of public and semipublic uses do not require a permit.
- Vehicular signs are allowed on licensed, registered vehicles used in conjunction with a business, provided primary purpose is not to direct the public to a business location.
- Noncommercial speech signs (those expressing personal, political, or religious points of view) on residential and farm properties are exempt from permit requirements provided they meet specified conditions in the code.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Site plan approval for signs is required for any sign located within the Historic District Overlay Area and for any sign deviating from standard regulations or those listed in §§135-112 through 135-123.
- All applications for sign site plan approval are referred by the Code Enforcement Officer to the Planning Board for review.
- Sign site plan approval requires a completed short form environmental assessment (SEQR) for unlisted actions.
- The Planning Board reviews, modifies, or denies sign site plan applications within 60 days; review includes size, height, materials, architectural structure, lighting, and location.
- The Code Enforcement Officer determines whether sign site plan review is required for any permit application.
- No permit for a sign shall be issued or sign constructed/maintained with insufficient utility line clearance as prescribed by state law.
- Nonconforming signs must be brought into compliance as a condition of development review on any parcel.

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

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