# Sign Regulations in Great Neck Estates, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Great Neck Estates, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/great-neck-estates
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/5078720#5078720)

## At a glance

Great Neck Estates, New York regulates 17 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Wall Signs in the Business District zoning district are capped at No higher than (a) 15 feet above curbline, (b) bottom of first level window sills above first story, (c) lowest roofline tall, 1.5 sq ft per 1 foot building frontage (total), and Maximum length 25 feet wide (Sec. §230-45C(1)-(12)). Most commercial signs in Great Neck Estates require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 4 | — | No more than 60 square feet | — |
| Business District | 8 | No higher than (a) 15 feet above curbline, (b) bottom of first level window sills above first story, (c) lowest roofline | 110% of permitted exterior street level sign area | — |
| Nonresidential District | 3 | — | 15 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | 50% greater than otherwise permitted | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Name/Address/Profession Sign | — | 1 square foot | — | — | — | On the premises it identifies. | — | §230-45B |
| Multiresidential Identification Sign (Ground or Wall) | — | No more than 60 square feet | — | — | 1 | One ground-mounted or wall sign to identify apartment, condominium, or cooperative building. | — | §230-47B |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 12 square feet (aggregate) | — | Set back as main front wall; at least 3 feet above ground | — | Set back as far from street line as the main front wall of a principal building. At least 3 feet above ground level. | — | §230-19 |
| Ground Sign for Nonresidential Use | — | — | — | For nonresidential building set back >10 ft from curb; sign no closer to street than inside edge of sidewalk (or curb if no sidewalk) | 1 per nonresidential building | One ground-mounted sign for nonresidential building set back more than 10 ft from curbline; no closer to street than inside edge of sidewalk or curb if no sidewalk. | — | §230-47A |

### Business District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | No higher than (a) 15 feet above curbline, (b) bottom of first level window sills above first story, (c) lowest roofline | 1.5 sq ft per 1 foot building frontage (total) | Maximum length 25 feet | — | — | Attached on entire surface to the face of a building or within a door or window. | — | §230-45C(1)-(12) |
| Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On cloth or canvas awning with iron or tube frames. Lowest point at least 7 ft above sidewalk. | — | §230-45C(13) |
| Window/Door Sign (Street Level Interior) | — | 15% of glass area per window/door | — | — | — | On or behind a window or door at street level | — | §230-45C(3) |
| Upper Level Window/Door Sign (Above street level) | — | 1/3 of glass area per window/door | — | — | — | On or behind a window or door above street level | — | §230-45C(4) |
| Ground Sign | — | — | — | For buildings set back more than 10 ft from curb, sign no closer than inside edge of sidewalk or curb | 1 | One per building; must be ground-mounted; no closer to street than inside edge of sidewalk or curb if no sidewalk; only for buildings set back more than 10 ft from curbline. | — | §230-47A |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Projecting from wall, not over 3 ft into public street/sidewalk, min bottom height of 8 ft above curbline. | — | §230-47C |
| Special Entrance Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | — | Indicating side or rear entrances to stores or buildings. | — | §230-47F |
| Identification Sign for Business Without Window Space | — | 110% of permitted exterior street level sign area | — | — | — | Front entrance of building without window space | — | §230-47G |

### Nonresidential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | — | — | — | Sign must be at least inside edge of sidewalk (or curb if none), and building must be >10 ft from curb | 1 | One ground-mounted sign per building, only for buildings set back more than 10 ft from curbline. No closer to street than inside edge of sidewalk or curb if no sidewalk. | — | §230-47A |
| Sale/Promotional Sign (Temporary) | — | — | — | — | — | In nonresidential district or appurtenant to a nonresidential use in a residential district; for special sales or events. | — | §230-48A |
| Construction Sign (Temporary) | — | 15 square feet | — | — | — | On premises under construction or alteration. | — | §230-48B |

## Prohibited signs in Great Neck Estates

- No sign or attracting device may be erected, altered or reconstructed without a permit from the Village Board of Trustees or their designee, except as otherwise provided.
- On or after the effective date, no sign shall be erected or altered in the Village unless the sign meets the requirements of §230-45.
- No sign shall have a sign top height higher than the lowest of: 15 feet above the curbline, the bottom of the sills of the first level of windows above the first story, or the lowest roofline of the building.
- Total sign area for a single building or occupancy shall not exceed 1.5 square feet for each foot of building frontage.
- No signs on or behind a window or a door shall have a sign area of more than 15% of the glass area of such window or door.
- Only interior signs are permitted for occupancies above street level, with a total sign area not exceeding 1/3 of the glass area of the window or door to which it is attached.
- No sign shall have a vertical dimension greater than 2.0 feet.
- No sign shall exceed 25 feet in length or contain an area in excess of 75 square feet.
- Each sign shall be attached on its entire surface to the face of a building or within a door or window of a building.
- No sign shall, unless on an awning, project outward more than 12 inches from the plane of the surface to which it is attached.
- Each sign shall, unless on an awning, be parallel to the plane of the building face.
- No sign shall contain or consist of moving parts or intermittent light.
- No sign shall be illuminated except indirectly or internally with white light.
- Exposed neon tubing shall not be permitted.
- No internal lighting that floods through the translucent area of the sign face not carrying the message or identifying letters is permitted.
- No illuminated sign shall be placed or directed to permit beams or illumination to be directed or beamed upon any adjacent public or private premises so as to cause glare or reflection that may constitute a nuisance or traffic hazard.
- An underwriter's label shall be affixed to every sign having an electrical component.
- No sign shall use more than three colors, including black and white; no fluorescent or 'day-glo' colors may be used.
- No sign shall be placed or located on any tree, light pole, utility pole, or on any public property, street, sidewalk, or right-of-way.
- Signs containing moving parts or intermittent lighting must be made nonmoving or nonintermittent within 60 days from the effective date of the ordinance.
- Any sign existing which no longer advertises a bona fide business conducted, product sold or activity/service being conducted must be removed within 60 days of such cessation.

## Signs exempt from permit in Great Neck Estates

- No permit shall be required for sale signs (advertising special sales or events) in any nonresidential district, or appurtenant to a nonresidential use in a residential district, displayed for no more than 14 days and conforming to size limits except that the permitted interior sign area may be temporarily increased by up to 50%.
- No permit is required for construction signs temporarily erected in a nonresidential district during construction or alteration of the premises on which the sign is located, if sign area is no more than 15 square feet and removed as soon as the work is complete.
- No permit is required for political signs incident to an election if displayed no more than 60 days prior to an election, removed within five days after the election, and not attached to a tree, post, utility pole or fence, and not placed to obstruct vision.
- Signs in a residence district displaying only the name, address or profession of the occupant, if no larger than one square foot, not illuminated unless a professional sign, and otherwise conforming to requirements, are exempt from any permit requirements.
- A merchandise price sign smaller than six square inches or a merchandise label is not considered a sign under the ordinance.
- No permit is required for any flag, emblem, insignia or display incidental to and customarily or commonly associated with any national, local or religious holiday.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required for all signs and attracting devices except as provided for in the exemptions. Such permits may only be granted following a compliance check and report as specified in §230-44.
- Before a permit, special permit, or variance for a sign or attracting device is granted, the application must be referred to the Code Official for a design review and written report.
- The Board of Trustees considers the design report when making determinations on sign applications, with the ability to approve, disapprove, amend, or impose conditions based on design considerations.
- Special permits are required for certain signs and attracting devices as listed in §230-47 (e.g., ground signs, projecting signs, attracting devices for more than 45 days, etc.), all after design review.
- Awning signs that include a sign as defined in the chapter require a sign permit.

## 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 Great Neck Estates — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Great+Neck+Estates+NY&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-great-neck-estates

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