# Sign Regulations in Chester Town, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Chester Town, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/chester-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/6951288#6951288)

## At a glance

Chester Town, New York regulates 31 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Ground-mounted Signs in the LB-SL District zoning district are capped at 12 ft tall and 10 sq ft per side or 40% of allowed front wall sign area per side, with a If within 5 ft of street ROW, must be at least 5 ft off ground setback (Sec. 98-21D(1)(c)). Most commercial signs in Chester Town require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residence districts | 6 | 5 ft above ground | 20 sq ft | — |
| RO Districts, LB Districts | 5 | — | — | — |
| LB-SL District | 10 | 12 ft | 25 sq ft | — |
| GC Districts, OP Districts, IP Districts | 5 | 5 ft | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 9 | 35 ft above grade | 672 sq ft (digital, frontage Route 17); otherwise 300 sq ft | — |

_1 additional zoning district is covered in PermitPal (free account)._

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### Residence districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | 25 ft from any street line or not more than 5 ft in front of building (if set back <25 ft) | — | At least 25 ft from any street line OR not more than 5 ft in front of any building that sets back less than 25 ft from the street line | — | 98-21A(1)(a) |
| Nameplate/Professional/Announcement Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 | In connection with a residential building | — | 98-21A(1)(b) |
| Identification Sign (Religious, Institutional Uses) | — | 20 sq ft | — | Not in required yard unless on wall, 25 ft max from street line | 1 | Referring only to premises upon which located; not in required yard unless affixed to wall; but need not be located more than 25 ft from street line | — | 98-21A(1)(c) |
| Bulletin Board (Place of Worship) | — | 12 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street line | — | No closer than 10 ft to a street line | — | 98-21A(1)(c) |
| Ground-mounted Sign | 5 ft above ground | — | — | — | — | — | — | 98-21A(2)(a) |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Mounted flush on building | — | 98-21A(2)(b) |

### LB-SL District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Flat Business Sign (Primary Street) | — | — | — | — | — | On building facade | — | 98-21D(1)(b), 98-21D(2)(a) |
| Flat Business Sign (Side/Secondary Street, Corner Lot) | — | — | — | — | — | Side of building/store facing secondary/side street | — | 98-21D(1)(b) |
| Flat Business Sign (Parking Lot Frontage) | — | — | — | — | — | Building facing area with parked vehicles (not driveway w/o parked vehicles) | — | 98-21D(1)(b) |
| Freestanding Ground-mounted Sign | 12 ft | 10 sq ft per side or 40% of allowed front wall sign area per side | — | If within 5 ft of street ROW, must be at least 5 ft off ground | — | Fixed position | — | 98-21D(1)(c) |
| Building Sign - Maximum Number Option | — | — | — | — | Max 2 per building; 1 per business (directory signs excluded) | — | — | 98-21D(1)(d) |
| Directory Sign (Multiple Businesses) | — | — | — | — | — | On site | — | 98-21D(4)(a)-(c) |
| Flag | — | 10 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per business | One per business, during business hours only | — | 98-21D(3)(c) |
| Banner | — | 25 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building (max 60 days/year) | 1 per building | — | 98-21D(3)(d) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Construction Sign (Commercial/Industrial Use) | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | — | On site of construction only | — | 98-21E(1) |
| Construction Sign (Other Districts/Firms) | — | 4 sq ft per firm | — | — | — | On site during construction only | — | 98-21E(1) |
| Real Estate Sign (General, unless otherwise regulated) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises | — | 98-21E(2) |
| Political Campaign Sign | — | 32 sq ft per premises | — | — | — | Within private property | — | 98-21E(3) |
| Temporary Poster Sign (Civic Event/Business Sale) | — | 3 sq ft (for civic event); special sale signs for business establishment per temporary use | — | — | — | Inside business establishment, affixed to show window, or on building exterior | — | 98-21E(4) |
| Directional Sign (Traffic; not on pavement) | — | 2 sq ft per sign | — | — | — | — | — | 98-21E(5) |
| Off-site Directional Sign (Educational, Religious, Governmental, Nonprofit, or Real Estate Use) | — | 4 sq ft per sign | — | — | Max 3 per use, 1,500 ft apart | With approval in street ROW; may be on premises other than use location | — | 98-21E(6) |
| Billboard (existing, see allowed zones) | 35 ft above grade | 672 sq ft (digital, frontage Route 17); otherwise 300 sq ft | — | 75 ft from street property line, 30 ft from other property lines, 1,000 ft from next billboard on Rte 17, unless preexisting | — | — | — | 98-21H(1)-(13) |

## Prohibited signs in Chester Town

- All signs not specifically permitted are prohibited.
- Signs, advertising structures, or devices erected or maintained adjacent to a state park or parkway in violation of applicable law are prohibited.
- Signs which contain or are in imitation of an official traffic sign or signal or contain words such as 'stop,' 'go slow,' 'caution,' 'danger,' 'warning,' or similar words are prohibited.
- Signs or lights which may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device or which hide from view any traffic or street sign or signal are prohibited.
- Signs which move in any manner, consist of moving devices, have a major moving part, or may swing or otherwise noticeably move as a result of wind pressure because of the manner of their suspension or attachment are prohibited.
- Billboards and other advertising signs, signs mounted on rooftops, and signs which project out from buildings more than one foot are prohibited.
- No sign shall have blinking, flashing, or fluttering lights or other illuminating device which has a changing light intensity, brightness, or color.
- Exposed reflective-type bulbs and strobe lights or incandescent lamps which exceed 15 watts shall neither be used on the exterior surface of any sign so as to expose the face of the bulb, light, or lamp to any public street or adjacent property nor be strung in a series of bulbs.

## Signs exempt from permit in Chester Town

- Construction signs (identifying architects, engineers, contractors, character, or purpose of a project) during construction, up to 16 sq ft for industrial/commercial use or 4 sq ft in other districts, confined to the site, and removed within 14 days of the beginning of use.
- Real estate signs advertising sale, rental, or lease of premises or part thereof, up to 12 sq ft unless otherwise regulated, removed within 14 days of sale, rental, or lease.
- Political campaign signs announcing candidates seeking office, up to 32 sq ft per premise, confined to private property, and removed within 14 days after the election.
- Temporary poster-type signs for temporary use, displayed inside a business establishment or affixed to the building, advertising special sales for a limited time or civic events (not over 3 sq ft for civic events).
- Signs directing traffic movement onto a premises, not exceeding 2 sq ft per sign. Horizontal directional signs on and flush with paved areas are exempt.
- Signs of educational, religious, governmental, or nonprofit organizations containing general public information, or signs giving directions to public, quasi-public, commercial, industrial, or real estate development uses not clearly visible from highways or major streets, subject to specific requirements (approval if on right-of-way, maximum 4 sq ft, may be off-site, limited to 3 per use, at least 1,500 feet apart).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Any sign now or hereafter existing which advertises a business no longer in operation within the district shall be removed within 30 days of business closing.
- Billboards or modification thereto require site plan review and approval by the Planning Board.
- A Town sign permit, issued by the Building Department, is required before installation or modification of a billboard.
- Permits for billboards are reviewed and issued consistent with the terms of this section as well as all other applicable laws of the Town, including the Zoning Law.
- Every applicant for a billboard permit shall file a certificate of insurance with the application.
- Any new sign upon reoccupancy of a space that included a nonconforming sign must conform to the current Code.
- Additional signs for multiple businesses in the LB-SL District may be permitted with architectural review by the Planning Board.
- Directory signs' frames and headers in the LB-SL District require initial architectural review by the Planning Board; once a standard is set, further review is not required.

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

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