# Sign Regulations in Johnstown Town, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Johnstown Town, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/johnstown-town
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/13988418#13988418)

## At a glance

Johnstown Town, New York regulates 13 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Directional Sign (C or M District)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 4 ft above grade tall and Less than 4 sq ft (Sec. 84-21BH).

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-1 District | 2 | — | 15 sq ft | — |
| R-2 Residence District, RPO District | 4 | — | 20 sq ft | — |
| C Commercial District | 4 | — | 200 sq ft aggregate | — |
| M-1 Manufacturing District, CID County Institution District | 5 | — | 300 sq ft | — |
| AUZ District | 4 | — | 200 sq ft aggregate | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | 25 ft | Less than 4 sq ft | — |

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

### R-2 Residence District, RPO District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | On residence | — | 84-21B(3)(a) |
| Institutional Sign | — | 15 sq ft | — | — | — | For schools, places of worship, hospitals, or other public and semipublic institutions | — | 84-21B(3)(b) |
| Business Sign | — | 20 sq ft | 6 ft | — | — | On premises, for permitted uses or legal nonconforming use | — | 84-21B(3)(c) |
| Temporary Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises for sale, rental, construction, or improvement | — | 84-21B(3)(d) |

### M-1 Manufacturing District, CID County Institution District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | On residence/establishment | — | 84-21B(5)(a), by reference to 84-21B(3)(a) |
| Institutional Sign | — | 15 sq ft | — | — | — | For schools, places of worship, hospitals, or other public and semipublic institutions | — | 84-21B(5)(a), by reference to 84-21B(3)(b) |
| Business Sign | — | 200 sq ft aggregate | — | — | — | On premises, signifying product or service on premises | — | 84-21B(5)(a), by reference to 84-21B(4)(b) |
| Temporary Sign | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises for sale, rental, construction, or improvement | — | 84-21B(5)(b) |
| Off-premise Sign (M-1 District) | — | 300 sq ft | — | — | — | Pertaining to functions, uses, products or services whether or not pertaining to the premises | — | 84-21B(5)(c) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Noncommercial Sign | — | Equal to any sign expressly allowed in the district | — | — | — | Any district | — | 84-21B(1) |
| Directional Sign (C or M District) | 4 ft above grade | Less than 4 sq ft | — | — | Maximum 2 per parcel (C and M districts only) | On-site in C Commercial or M Manufacturing Districts only | — | 84-21BH |
| Window Sign | — | No more than 1/4 of the window area of ground floors | — | — | — | Windows, ground-level only | — | 84-21BR |
| Sandwich Board Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 84-21BM |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Attached to building | — | 84-21BE, 84-21BO |
| Freestanding Sign (R, RPO, AUZ) | 12 ft | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 84-21BP |
| Freestanding Sign (C District) | 15 ft | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 84-21BP |
| Freestanding Sign (M-1, CID) | 25 ft | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 84-21BP |

## Prohibited signs in Johnstown Town

- No sign, other than an official traffic or public information sign, shall be erected or project within the right-of-way line of any public street.
- No sign shall be erected which, in the opinion of the Town CEO, may cause hazardous or unsafe conditions.
- No sign shall have a source of illumination directed toward a public street or adjacent property.
- Sign illumination shall be steady, regardless of changes to sign copy.
- Off-premise signs are prohibited in all zoning districts except in the M-1 Zoning District.
- Portable signs are prohibited in all districts (except sandwich boards, which are exempt).
- Any sign permitted by this article shall not rotate, rock, or otherwise move, and shall not contain sign copy that is flashing, scrolling, or projected.
- No signs affixed to a building may project into public sidewalk right-of-way, such that the bottom most portion of the sign is less than seven feet above a walkway or otherwise impede pedestrian traffic or result in a public safety concern.
- No sign shall be higher than the building to which it is attached.
- Freestanding sign maximum height: 12 feet in R-Districts, RPO Districts, and AUZ; 15 feet in C-Districts; 25 feet in M-1 District or CID.
- Signs permitted to deteriorate (cracks, corrosion, rot, excessive wear and tear, etc.) shall be removed at the owner's expense upon direction of the CEO.
- The number of signs permitted on any single parcel shall not exceed three per establishment (except for directional signs), and the number of freestanding signs shall not exceed one (two additional directional signs allowed).

## Signs exempt from permit in Johnstown Town

- Official traffic or public information signs are exempt from the prohibition of signs in the right-of-way.
- Sandwich boards are exempt from the portable sign prohibition but must comply with all other standards.
- Nameplates, identification signs for residential buildings, and window signs are exempt from the sign permit requirement.
- Signs recognized as contributing historical elements of a federal, state, or local registered historical landmark shall not be deemed nonconforming.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- An applicant for a sign permit shall submit all necessary information pertaining to size, location, and sign construction sufficient for the Planning Board to determine conformance with this chapter.
- Permit fees for sign permits shall be set by the Town Board.
- A sign permit is required for any new temporary sign having four square feet of area or more; and for any new permanent or constructed sign (except nameplates, identification signs for residential buildings, and window signs).

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

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