# Sign Regulations in Great Neck, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Great Neck, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/great-neck
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/6308413#6308413)

## At a glance

Great Neck, New York regulates 11 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Building Identification Signs in the Residential districts zoning district are capped at 6 inches tall and 18 inches wide, with a If on a post, must be at least 3 feet from nearest property line. setback (Sec. § 575-139A). Most commercial signs in Great Neck require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential districts | 2 | 6 inches | 4 sq. ft. | — |
| Business A, Business B, Mixed-Use, Waterfront Development, Parking Districts | 7 | 6 inches | 1,100 sq. in. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | 2 sq. ft. | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Identification Sign | 6 inches | — | 18 inches | If on a post, must be at least 3 feet from nearest property line. | 1 | Attached to or displayed from within the building, or on a post not more than 6 feet high and at least 3 feet from the nearest property line. | — | § 575-139A |
| For Sale or Rent Sign | — | 4 sq. ft. | — | If not attached to a building, must conform to minimum front and side yard setbacks. | 1 | Upon real property. If not attached to a building, must conform to the minimum front and side yard setbacks of the district. | — | § 575-139B |

### Business A, Business B, Mixed-Use, Waterfront Development, Parking Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Identification Sign (Residential Type) | 6 inches | — | 18 inches | If on post, at least 3 ft from property line | 1 | Attached to or displayed from within the building, or on a post not more than 6 feet high and at least 3 feet from the nearest property line. | — | § 575-140A(1); § 575-144A |
| For Sale or Rent Sign | — | 4 sq. ft. | — | If not attached to building, must conform to district setback requirements | 1 | Upon real property. If not attached to a building, must conform to minimum front and side yard setbacks. | — | § 575-140A(1), § 575-140E, § 575-144A |
| Wall Sign - Primary | 4 ft | — | 80% of street frontage or 40 ft, whichever is less | — | 1 per street frontage (see option for secondary sign for corner lots) | On or applied/attached to the wall of building/store facing a public street; Projects not more than 12 inches from wall (or more if rigid canopy subject to §225-2). | — | § 575-140A(2), § 575-140A(3), § 575-144A |
| Wall Sign - Secondary (Corner Lot) | 3 ft | — | 75% of primary or 38 ft, whichever is less | — | 1 per building on a corner lot (secondary sign) | On or attached to building/store facing the second public street (secondary street). | — | § 575-140A(3), § 575-144A |
| Pole Sign (In Lieu of Wall Signs) | — | — | — | — | 1 pole sign permitted in lieu of wall signs | Developed property only. | — | § 575-140B, § 575-144A |
| Sign on Undeveloped Property | — | 12 sq. ft. | — | At least 25 ft from any property line. | — | Must be set back at least 25 ft from any property line. | — | § 575-140C, § 575-144A |
| Parking Premises Sign | — | 1,100 sq. in. | — | Must not encroach upon any public right-of-way. | — | Within the parcel used for private or public parking. Cannot encroach on public right-of-way. | — | § 575-140D, § 575-144A |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| "No Smoking" Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Placed by order of Fire or Building Inspector in any building or premises (except private detached dwellings and private apartments). | — | § 237-34 |
| Emergency Evacuation Elevator Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per elevator landing per floor | Wall adjacent to exterior elevator call button, on each floor served by elevator, at 48-60 inches above the floor. | — | § 259-7 |
| Sale Sign (Temporary) | — | 2 sq. ft. | 24 in. x 12 in. | — | 2 | Posted on the premises where the sale is conducted. | — | § 301-6 |

## Prohibited signs in Great Neck

- Revolving signs and signs which are lighted with intermittent flashing or animated illumination, except that time and temperature signs may be permitted.
- Freestanding pole or illuminated signs, except as permitted elsewhere in this article.
- Right-angle or projecting signs extending over the public right-of-way for more than 12 inches.
- Any sign or artificial lighting source or reflector connected to or used therewith where such sign or lighting conflicts with or may be mistaken for a traffic signal.
- Illuminated signs or lighting devices, flashing lights, strobe lights and/or lights otherwise outlining any part of a building such as a window, door, gable, roof, sidewalk or corner.
- Any sign painted, erected, affixed or maintained on the roof of a building or, except for certain small signs, on any tree, stone or other natural object.
- Any sign which covers or blocks any door, window or other opening in a building or structure, except as otherwise permitted.
- Any sign which projects above the lowest point of a roof, parapet or mansard roof, except where expressly provided otherwise.
- Any sign which projects more than 12 inches from the wall surface of a building or store.
- Unless otherwise provided, any sign erected or maintained above the soffit of a building.
- Any self-illuminated sign wherein the light source itself is shaped and utilized to form the sign.
- Any sign painted directly on a wall of a building.
- No sign or show window display shall be placed, illuminated, or maintained in such a way as may cause danger to traffic by obscuring the driver's view.
- No sign shall consist of a painted surface utilizing fluorescent or Day-Glo colors.
- It is unlawful to erect, maintain, or display any sign without first obtaining a permit, except as otherwise provided.

## Signs exempt from permit in Great Neck

- No permit or fee shall be required of any municipal authority.
- "No smoking" signs as ordered by the Fire Inspector or Building Inspector under fire prevention authority.
- Emergency signs in all buildings with elevators directing persons to use stairways during a fire emergency.
- Sale signs advertising a sale, with up to two signs not larger than 24 inches by 12 inches posted on the premises and removed within 48 hours after the sale.
- Signs specifically permitted in the ordinance are exempt from the general prohibition on billboards, poster panels, or other types of signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No explicit mention of a master sign plan requirement; however, the Board of Trustees may consider how a proposed sign 'will adhere to or conflict with existing signs, canopies, and awnings, and/or such plan for an existing or new cohesive design plan for that portion of the Village' when reviewing sign permit requests on or within 200 feet of Middle Neck Road or Steamboat Road.
- A sign permit is generally required for all signs in business and commercial districts, and sometimes requires Board of Trustees approval, especially for pole signs, undeveloped property, or locations near Middle Neck Road and Steamboat Road.
- Variance requests (for additional or nonconforming signs) require an application to the Board of Trustees, who may grant such variances on terms and conditions it deems necessary.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Great Neck, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Great+Neck+NY&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-great-neck

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