# Sign Regulations in Lackawanna, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Lackawanna, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/lackawanna
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-21
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/9465667#9465667)

## At a glance

Lackawanna, New York regulates 14 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Neighborhood Commercial — NC zoning district are capped at 8 feet tall and 25 square feet per side (Sec. §230-41C). Most commercial signs in Lackawanna require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Single-Family Residential — SFR | 1 | — | 20 square feet | — |
| Mixed Residential — MR | 3 | — | 20 square feet | — |
| Central Business District — CBD | 2 | — | 8 square feet | — |
| Neighborhood Commercial — NC | 3 | 8 feet | 25 square feet per side | — |
| Regional Commercial — RC | 3 | 15 feet | 50 square feet per side | — |
| Industrial — I, Bethlehem Redevelopment Area — BRA | 2 | 6 feet | 32 square feet per side | — |
| Open Space — OS | 1 | — | 20 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 7 feet | 40 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### Mixed Residential — MR

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | — | 8 square feet | — | — | One detached sign per use subject to site plan review | Detached, describing a use subject to site plan review | — | §230-41C |
| Wall Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One attached sign per use subject to site plan review | Attached to building, describing use subject to site plan review | — | §230-41C |
| Freestanding Sign (SFR-permitted) | — | 20 square feet | — | — | One sign per use subject to site plan review | On property for uses subject to site plan review | — | §230-41C |

### Neighborhood Commercial — NC

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Use or Services Identification) | — | — | — | — | — | Attached to building, identifying uses or services on the premises | — | §230-41C |
| Freestanding Sign | 8 feet | 25 square feet per side | — | — | One sign per lot | Detached, located in front yard | — | §230-41C |
| Wall Sign (MR-permitted) | — | 4 square feet (attached), 8 square feet (detached), 20 square feet (SFR-permitted) | — | — | — | See MR District | — | §230-41C |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign | — | 40 square feet | — | — | One per business | On premises, must comply with location and design standards in chapter | — | §230-41D |
| Internally Illuminated Sign | — | — | — | — | One per building | Anywhere permitted; see specific restrictions | — | §230-41F(3-6) |
| Off-Site Sign (Disaster Relocation Only) | — | — | — | — | One per relocated business | Previous site of business/service relocated due to unforeseen disaster, e.g., fire | — | §230-41E(1) |
| Directional/Parking Sign | 7 feet | 2 square feet per face | — | — | Two per business | On premises | — | §230-41B(7) |
| Political Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | §230-41B(5) |
| Gasoline Dispensing Price Sign (Exempt) | — | 1 square foot per face (on dispenser); separate additional requirement for required 12x12 inch sign on pump per §87-20 | — | — | Per pump/dispenser | Attached to gasoline dispenser or service island canopy | — | §230-41B(4); §87-20 |
| Home Occupation Sign (Exempt) | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One per home occupation | Attached to dwelling | — | §230-41B(12) |

## Prohibited signs in Lackawanna

- No person shall erect, alter, construct or relocate any sign without first obtaining a sign permit from the Zoning Officer.
- No off-site signs shall be permitted in the City except one sign erected on the previous site of a business or service relocated due to unforeseen disaster for a period of 15 months.
- No sign shall be at any location where, by reason of position, shape, wording or color, it interferes with or obstructs the view or free passage of pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
- No sign shall be painted, placed or constructed directly on or project from a roof.
- No sign shall be attached to any tree, utility pole or be painted upon or otherwise affixed to any rock, ledge or other natural feature.
- No sign shall be affixed or painted to any wall that faces an adjoining residential lot.
- No sign shall be closer than 20 feet to a lot line except as stated for wall signs or corner lots.
- Signs parallel to and attached to a building shall not project more than 10 inches from the building.
- Any sign projecting over a public way must be at least eight feet above the ground and require liability insurance naming the City as additional insured.
- No sign shall consist of pennants, ribbons, streamers, sheets, spinners or other moving devices.
- No sign shall consist of strings of lights or contain blinking, flashing, intermittent, rotating, glaring or moving lights.
- The use of opaque letters against an illuminated white or light-colored background is prohibited; dark-colored or opaque backgrounds are required.
- Illuminated white or light-colored lettering or logos shall not exceed 25% of the total sign area.
- Neon window signs may not exceed 25% of the window.
- No sign shall be movable or portable unless defined as a temporary sign.
- Signs that are abandoned are prohibited and shall be removed by the sign or property owner.
- Billboards are not permitted and shall not be erected unless approved by the City Council.

## Signs exempt from permit in Lackawanna

- Customary holiday decorations.
- House addresses, family name signs, decorative flags, 'no trespassing' and similar signs.
- Traffic control signs.
- Gasoline price signs attached to a gasoline dispenser or service island canopy and not exceeding one square foot per face.
- Political signs not exceeding four square feet in area, erected no earlier than three weeks before an election and removed within seven calendar days following the election.
- Real estate signs not exceeding six square feet in area.
- No more than two directional and parking signs not exceeding two square feet per face and no taller than seven feet high per business.
- Signs, flags or emblems erected and maintained pursuant to any government function.
- Decorative or architectural features of a building, except letters or trademarks.
- Memorial or historic plaques, markers, monuments or tablets.
- Safety signs.
- Nonilluminated home occupation signs attached to the dwelling and less than four square feet in area.
- One construction or renovation sign, four square feet in size or less, erected by a contractor, engineer, architect or similar professional or business and removed at the termination of their portion of the project activity.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit must be obtained from the Zoning Officer prior to erecting, altering, constructing or relocating any sign.
- A temporary sign permit is required to erect or maintain any temporary sign.
- Signs located along state highways should be submitted to the New York State Department of Transportation for review and approval where appropriate.

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

---

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