# Sign Regulations in Chester, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Chester, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/chester
- **Data last verified:** 2026-05-03
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/CH0667#10487745)

## At a glance

Chester, New York regulates 26 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Ground-Mounted (Freestanding) Identification Sign (Institutional)s in the RA, RS, RMH, RM (Residence Districts) zoning district are capped at 5 feet above the ground tall and 16 square feet, with a 25 feet from street line setback (Sec. §98-19C(3)-(4)). Most commercial signs in Chester require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| RA, RS, RMH, RM (Residence Districts) | 5 | 5 feet above the ground | 16 square feet | — |
| B-1 Districts | 4 | May not extend above the roofline or a line five feet above the top of the roof beams where they join the exterior bearing wall, whichever is lower. | 12 square feet | — |
| B-2 Districts | 7 | No part or projection over 20 feet above ground level | 200 square feet for one street frontage; 400 square feet for all sides of a store/building. | — |
| M, M-1, M-2, HIO (Manufacturing Districts) | 4 | 5 feet | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | — | 32 square feet for each industrial or B-2 use | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### RA, RS, RMH, RM (Residence Districts)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | 25 feet from street line or no more than 5 feet from building if set back <25 feet | — | At least 25 feet from any street line or not more than 5 feet in front of any building that sets back less than 25 feet from the street line. | — | §98-19C(1) |
| Nameplate/Professional/Announcement Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | 1 | In connection with a residential building. | — | §98-19C(2) |
| Identification Sign (Institutional) | — | 16 square feet | — | Freestanding: min 25 feet from street line | 1 | On premises for place of worship, parish house, religious school, hospital, nursing home, private school, apartment building, or professional office. | — | §98-19C(3) |
| Ground-Mounted (Freestanding) Identification Sign (Institutional) | 5 feet above the ground | 16 square feet | — | 25 feet from street line | 1 | On premises for institutional uses (see above) | — | §98-19C(3)-(4) |
| Wall-Mounted Identification Sign (Institutional) | May not project above the roofline or a line five feet above the top of the roof beams where they join the exterior bearing wall, whichever is lower. | 16 square feet | — | — | 1 | Affixed to the wall of an institutional building | — | §98-19C(3)-(5) |

### B-2 Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Any Sign Allowed in B-1 Districts | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §98-19E(1) |
| Flat Business Sign (Wall Sign) | — | 200 square feet for one street frontage; 400 square feet for all sides of a store/building. | — | — | — | On building. | — | §98-19E(1) |
| Identity Sign (Individual Use) | No part or projection over 20 feet above ground level | 50 square feet for one face or 100 square feet for two faces (double-faced) | — | 20 feet from street line | 1 per individual use | One per individual use (exclusive of shopping centers) | — | §98-19E(2)-(4)(a) |
| Identity Sign (Shopping Center <10 acres) | No part or projection over 20 feet above ground level | 100 square feet for one face or 200 square feet for two faces (double-faced) | — | 20 feet from street line | 1 per shopping center (<10 acres) | One per shopping center less than 10 acres | — | §98-19E(2)-(4)(b) |
| Identity Sign (Shopping Center >10 acres) | No part or projection over 20 feet above ground level | 100 square feet for one face or 200 square feet for two faces (double-faced) | — | 20 feet from street line | 2 per shopping center (>10 acres) | Two per shopping center in excess of 10 acres. | — | §98-19E(2)-(4)(b) |
| Incidental Sign (Gasoline Filling Station) | — | Total sign area not to exceed 40 square feet (excluding identity and wall signs) | — | 20 feet from property line | — | May be attached to the structure or on a permanently installed sign structure | — | §98-19E(5)-(7) |
| Billboard/Other Advertising Sign - Not Clearly Visible from Street | — | — | — | — | — | Not clearly visible from any street in the Village. | — | §98-19E(8) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Construction Sign (Non-Industrial/B-2) | — | 4 square feet for each firm | — | — | — | On site of construction | — | §98-19G(1) |
| Construction Sign (Industrial/B-2) | — | 32 square feet for each industrial or B-2 use | — | — | — | On site of construction | — | §98-19G(1) |
| Real Estate Sign (General) | — | 12 square feet | — | — | — | On premises being sold/rented/leased | — | §98-19G(2) |
| Political Campaign Sign/Noncommercial Temporary Sign | — | 16 square feet per premises | — | — | — | Within private property | — | §98-19G(3) |
| Temporary Poster-Type Sign (Business) | — | 3 square feet (for civic event promotion outside premises); otherwise size not stated, but must be temporary. | — | — | — | Inside business establishment, affixed to outside of show window, or on building housing business | — | §98-19G(4) |
| Directional Sign | — | 2 square feet per sign | — | — | — | Directing traffic movement onto a premises; horizontal directional signs on and flush with paved areas are exempt | — | §98-19G(5) |
| Directional/Public Information Sign (Educational/Religious/Government/Quasi-Public/Commercial/Industrial/Real Estate Development) | — | 4 square feet | — | 1500 feet apart if multiple signs along a street | Up to 3 per use | May be located on premises other than the use to which the sign refers | — | §98-19G(6) |

## Prohibited signs in Chester

- No sign may be placed or erected across or in any of the streets or project over sidewalks or streets, or be placed in proximity thereto, unless it is an awning of cloth upon iron frames, self-supporting and at least eight feet six inches above the sidewalk, or conforms to the Zoning Law provisions.
- Unless specifically permitted in the ordinance or required for freedom of speech by the Constitution, all signs are prohibited.
- Signs advertising a structure or device adjacent to a state park or parkway in violation of § 13.07 of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law.
- Signs that imitate official traffic signs/signals or contain the words 'stop,' 'go slow,' 'caution,' 'danger,' 'warning' or similar words.
- Signs or lights that could be confused with a traffic control device or hide any traffic or street sign/signal.
- Signs that move in any way, have moving parts, swing or noticeably move due to wind.
- Billboards and other advertising signs that are clearly visible from a street in the Village.
- Signs mounted on rooftops.
- Signs which project out from buildings more than one foot.
- Freestanding or projecting signs within 30 feet of an intersection of street rights-of-way, except informational signs erected by a governmental body.
- Signs displayed in a hazardous manner to traffic or that disturb other building occupants.
- Signs attached to or incorporated onto any utility pole or light pole.
- Signs erected or located on, within or over any public right-of-way, unless specifically permitted in the ordinance.
- Signs which are not accessory to a use located on the premises, except as otherwise permitted.
- Inflatable signs.
- No sign may have blinking, flashing or fluttering lights or other illuminating device with a changing intensity, brightness or color.
- Exposed reflective-type bulbs or incandescent lamps exceeding 15 watts shall not be used externally on signs so as to be visible from public streets or adjacent property, nor strung in a series.
- Except as detailed for Electronic Message Displays (EMDs), signs may not flash, fade, or scroll; EMDs must meet change speed and dimming requirements.

## Signs exempt from permit in Chester

- Awnings of cloth upon iron frames, constructed and attached to buildings as self-supporting and at least eight feet six inches above the sidewalk, are exempt from prohibition on projecting over sidewalks or streets.
- Wooden or iron awnings and signs conforming to Zoning Law provisions are exempt from prohibition on projecting over sidewalks or streets.
- Signs permitted 'in any district' that do not require a permit include: construction signs (with area, location, and duration limitations); real estate signs as specified; political campaign and noncommercial signs up to 16 square feet kept within private property; temporary poster-type sales or civic event signs (with size and placement restrictions); traffic movement/directional signs not exceeding two square feet; educational, religious, governmental, nonprofit, or public service directional signs (with restrictions on size, number, spacing, and location); and horizontal directional signs on and flush with paved areas.
- Noncommercial copy is allowed on any authorized sign, in lieu of any other copy.
- The Village of Chester, as a governmental agency, is exempt from the provisions of § 98-19.

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

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/chester