# Sign Regulations in Elmira Town, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Elmira Town, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/elmira-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/14378909#14378909)

## At a glance

Elmira Town, New York regulates 28 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the GB District, NB District zoning district are capped at Up to 20 ft (see General Regulations) tall and Included in total allowed principal business sign area., with a Cannot extend beyond property boundary or into right-of-way. setback (Sec. §217-65D(1)(f), (2)(d), (3)(a)). Most commercial signs in Elmira 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 | 15 | 3 ft | 40 sq ft | — |
| AR District, ARA District, AAA District, AA District, A District | 3 | — | 30 sq ft | — |
| GB District, NB District | 7 | Up to 20 ft (see General Regulations) | Window sign: display area does not exceed 30% of each window area. Accessory: aggregate area not to exceed 0.5 sq ft per lineal foot of building frontage. | — |
| Manufacturing District | 3 | — | 200 sq ft (total); 100 sq ft (single face) | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Any Sign | — | — | — | No freestanding sign or part may extend beyond property boundary or into road right-of-way. | — | — | — | §217-65A(1)-(14) |
| Portable Sign (Nonprofit/Special Event) | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §217-65A(11) |
| Safety Sign / Road Sign / Historical Marker / Highway Directional Sign (Public Agency) | — | — | — | — | — | Any | — | §217-65A(7) |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential Use) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises for sale, not in the road right-of-way or off-premises. | — | §217-65B(1) |
| Real Estate Sign (Business/Industrial Use or Subdivision) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises for sale, not in the road right-of-way or off-premises. | — | §217-65B(1) |
| Temporary Construction Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises where construction is proposed or underway. | — | §217-65B(4) |
| Directional Entrance/Exit Sign | 3 ft | 4 sq ft each (2 signs permitted) | — | — | 2 | Indicates/calls attention to traffic entrances/exits | — | §217-65B(10) |
| Directional Sign (to Services) | 3 ft | — | — | — | — | To direct customers to services | — | §217-65B(11) |

### AR District, ARA District, AAA District, AA District, A District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign (Multiunit Dwellings/Subdivisions) | — | 30 sq ft | — | — | 2 | — | — | §217-65C(1) |
| Home Occupation Sign (Mounted Flat) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | Flat against a wall of the dwelling unit | — | §217-65C(2) |
| Identification Sign / Bulletin Board (Civic, Religious, Educational, Institutional, Social Club, Membership Club) | — | 16 sq ft (aggregate total face area) | — | — | 1 | Incidental to the use | — | §217-65C(3) |

### GB District, NB District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Flat Facade) | — | Total display area: 1 sq ft per lineal foot of building frontage or 150 sq ft whichever is less. | — | — | Max 3 principal business signs total in combinations allowed. | Placed flush with building - Front facade: max 2 signs per road-level business, side facade: max 1 sign if facing road/parking | — | §217-65D(1)(a), (2)(a)-(c), (3)(a) |
| Projecting Sign | — | Total display area as above (included with principal signs) | — | — | — | Perpendicular to building | — | §217-65D(1)(b), (3)(a) |
| Window Lettering Sign (Main and Accessory) | — | Window sign: display area does not exceed 30% of each window area. Accessory: aggregate area not to exceed 0.5 sq ft per lineal foot of building frontage. | — | — | — | Displayed/painted/affixed to window | — | §217-65D(1)(c), (2), (3)(b) |
| Awning Sign | — | As part of total allowed sign area | — | — | — | Displayed/printed/affixed to awning | — | §217-65D(1)(d), (3)(a) |
| Sandwich Board Sign (Detached Sidewalk) | 3 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | Within 3 ft of the curb; must not obstruct pedestrian traffic. | — | §217-65D(1)(e) |
| Freestanding Sign | Up to 20 ft (see General Regulations) | Included in total allowed principal business sign area. | — | Cannot extend beyond property boundary or into right-of-way. | Max 1 | — | — | §217-65D(1)(f), (2)(d), (3)(a) |
| Accessory Sign | — | Aggregate accessory sign area not to exceed 0.5 sq ft per lineal foot of building frontage. | — | Where portable, must comply with setbacks. | — | Window, facade, or on certain outdoor merchandise displays. | — | §217-65D(3)(b) |

## Prohibited signs in Elmira Town

- No sign or other outdoor device for advertising of any kind may be erected or established except in conformance with the standards in this section.
- No permanent or temporary sign shall be erected or placed at or near the intersection of any roads in such a manner as to cause a traffic hazard at the intersection or where it may interfere with, obstruct the view of, or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device, or which uses words, phrases, symbols or characters in a way that interferes with, misleads, or confuses traffic.
- No building-mounted sign shall be placed or erected on the roof of any building.
- No permitted freestanding sign shall be more than 20 feet in height above the average finished grade of the ground of the parcel on which the sign is located (except as provided in Subsection E).
- No freestanding signs or any part of such sign shall extend beyond a property boundary or into a road right-of-way.
- No freestanding sign shall obscure clear vision for any site or adjoining site driveway. All such signs shall be a maximum of three feet in height or not extend closer to the ground than eight feet.
- Illumination of signs shall not be intermittent or of varying intensity and may not produce excessive glare beyond the property lines.
- No sign shall consist of banners, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners or similar moving, fluttering or revolving devices. Signs with moving parts are not permitted, except public service signs (such as time and temperature) and interior signs approved by the Town Board that do not constitute a traffic hazard.
- No sign shall project into a public right-of-way or be less than 15 feet above any public driveway or thoroughfare.
- Advertising signs and billboards as defined are prohibited.
- No advertising message shall be extended over more than one sign placed along any road or highway.
- Signs located inside a building but visible from the exterior are subject to the same size restrictions and regulations as exterior signs.

## Signs exempt from permit in Elmira Town

- Safety signs, road signs, historical markers, or highway directional signs erected by municipal or public agencies are exempt from the provisions of this section.
- No building permit is required for: real estate signs within area limits and on-premises; residence, professional, or business nameplates up to two square feet; historical markers, statues, plaques, building names/dates/emblems installed by government or nonprofit organizations (up to six square feet); temporary signs for construction projects (up to four square feet, removed within 15 days of completion); traffic or municipal signs, legal notices, and temporary or nonadvertising government purpose signs; temporary posters, banners etc. for political, community, or sporting events (up to four square feet, limited display period); temporary posters, banners, etc. for promotional sales events (up to four square feet, limited display period and frequency); certificates and licenses mandated to be on display by law; seasonal or holiday decorations on private premises; two signs (up to four square feet) indicating traffic entrances/exits without advertisement, insignia, or business logo; directional signs for business services without advertisement or logo and not projecting more than three feet above grade.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No explicit general requirement for a master sign plan, sign plan, or variance meeting is stated in the provided text. Each sign must conform with the standards in this section and, except for exempted signs in Subsection B, all signs require a building permit.
- For plazas and malls (where three or more business uses are combined in a single structure and/or grouping with shared facilities), special sign provisions apply but no explicit mention of a sign plan submission process or variance meeting is present.

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

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