# Sign Regulations in Bristol Town, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Bristol Town, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/bristol-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/35137562#35137562)

## At a glance

Bristol Town, New York regulates 14 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding or Wall Sign (Commercial Use: nonresidential, commercial, church, public building, home occupation)s in the Agricultural-Conservation (A-C) zoning district are capped at 10 ft above ground level tall and 16 sq ft per side (up to 2 sides), with a Minimum 5 ft from right-of-way setback (Sec. §350-37A(2)). Most commercial signs in Bristol Town 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 | 5 | 7 ft | 20 sq ft | — |
| Agricultural-Conservation (A-C) | 2 | 10 ft above ground level | 16 sq ft per side (up to 2 sides) | — |
| Residential (M-R and L-R) Districts | 2 | 10 ft above ground level | 4 sq ft per side | — |
| Community Business (C-B) and Light Industrial (L-I) Districts | 6 | 15 ft above ground level | 65 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | 7 ft | 20 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §350-36I(1), §350-38B |
| Temporary Political Candidate Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per candidate or ballot per parcel | — | — | §350-36I(2), §350-38C |
| Temporary Garage/Yard Sale Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §350-36I(3) |
| Temporary Seasonal Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §350-36I(4) |
| Banner (Temporary, Commercial Activity) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §350-36I(5) |

### Agricultural-Conservation (A-C)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pole- or Building-Mounted Sign (Residential Use) | 10 ft above ground level | 4 sq ft per side | — | — | — | Residential property | — | §350-37A(1) |
| Freestanding or Wall Sign (Commercial Use: nonresidential, commercial, church, public building, home occupation) | 10 ft above ground level | 16 sq ft per side (up to 2 sides) | — | Minimum 5 ft from right-of-way | 1 per property | On the property to which it relates; minimum 5 ft from right-of-way | — | §350-37A(2) |

### Community Business (C-B) and Light Industrial (L-I) Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pole- or Building-Mounted Sign - General | 15 ft above ground level | 4 sq ft per side | — | — | — | — | — | §350-37C(1) |
| Wall Sign (Business Use, Main Building Sign) | — | — | — | — | 1 per permitted use or activity | Front of building | — | §350-37C(2)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign (Business Use) | 15 ft | 20 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per permitted business use | — | — | §350-37C(2)(b) |
| Freestanding Sign (Retail/Professional Center) | 15 ft | 65 sq ft | — | — | 1 per retail/professional center | — | — | §350-37C(2)(c) |
| Wall Sign (Commercial Center/Plaza, per use) | — | — | — | — | 1 per use in commercial center or plaza | Mounted on the building frontage | — | §350-37C(2)(d) |
| Directional/Nonadvertising Sign (Parking lot markers, entrance/exit signs, etc.) | — | 2 sq ft per side | — | — | — | On premises | — | §350-38A |

## Prohibited signs in Bristol Town

- No sign shall be attached to utility poles, trees or streetlights.
- No sign shall consist of animated or moving parts.
- No sign shall be permitted to project into any public right-of-way.
- Signs constituting a traffic hazard are prohibited.
- No sign in a residential district may be illuminated.
- The intensity of the light source for a sign shall not exceed that necessary to illuminate and make legible a sign from the public ways.
- All signs must comply with the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.

## Signs exempt from permit in Bristol Town

- Maintenance of a conforming sign or a legally nonconforming sign shall not be considered an erection or alteration so long as a structural change is not made.
- No permit shall be required for a temporary 'for sale' or 'for rent' sign, provided it does not exceed 20 square feet in area and the height is no greater than seven feet.
- No permit shall be required for temporary candidate or ballot signs, provided they measure no more than four square feet and no more than one sign for each candidate or ballot is placed on the same parcel. Signs must be removed within 10 days after an election.
- Parking lot markers, directional signs, entrance and exit signs and other nonadvertising signs which are erected upon the premises in Community Business (C-B) and Light Industrial (L-I) Districts, provided such signs do not exceed two square feet in area on any one side and do not contain any advertising of the use of the premises, are exempt from sign regulations.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- When a site plan review is indicated for new construction or site alterations, the Planning Board shall, as part of the site plan review, have the authority to accept, modify or deny proposed signage.
- All permitted signs and billboards shall require a building permit from the Code Enforcement Officer, except for certain temporary or exempted sign types as otherwise specified.

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

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