# Sign Regulations in Mount Vernon, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Mount Vernon, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/mount-vernon
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-21
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/6603744#6603744)

## At a glance

Mount Vernon, New York regulates 23 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Business District, Commercial District, Industrial District, Residential District zoning district are capped at 12 ft (min 3 ft above grade or 1/2 allowable front yard setback) tall and 48 sq ft (20 sq ft if abutting low-density residential district, for medical/professional office building), with a Building/use must be set back at least 20 ft from front property line setback (Sec. § 267-77E). Most commercial signs in Mount Vernon require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MacArthur Circle | 1 | — | — | — |
| Business District, Commercial District, Industrial District, Residential District | 16 | 60 inches (sign), 48 inches (letters), 30 ft above grade, logo 72 inches | 300 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 36 in (main entrance/exit sign); 12 in x 36 in required for "entrance" and "exit" | 144 sq in (12 in x 12 in) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### MacArthur Circle

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs | — | — | — | — | 0 | Anywhere within MacArthur Circle | — | § 221-1 |

### Business District, Commercial District, Industrial District, Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 36 inches | 300 sq ft | — | — | 1 per frontage per tenant | On exterior front, rear, or side walls of building; parallel to building face, not project above or below articulated sign band; not above sill of 2nd story nor >18 ft above grade. | — | § 267-77A |
| Wall Sign (Principal Arterial Corridor) | 60 inches (sign), 48 inches (letters), 30 ft above grade, logo 72 inches | — | — | — | 1 per frontage per tenant | Exterior wall along principal arterial corridors | — | § 267-77A(5) |
| Canopy | Minimum 9 ft above sidewalk | — | 8 ft | — | — | Projecting over sidewalk or yard | — | § 267-77C(2)(b)-(e) |
| Freestanding Sign | 12 ft (min 3 ft above grade or 1/2 allowable front yard setback) | 48 sq ft (20 sq ft if abutting low-density residential district, for medical/professional office building) | — | Building/use must be set back at least 20 ft from front property line | 1 per street frontage per structure | At property line; only if building/use is set back ≥20 ft from front property line; only 1 per street frontage for each structure (business/commercial/industrial) or to identify residential development | — | § 267-77E |
| Freestanding Sign (Medical/Professional Office abutting low-density residential) | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per frontage | Abutting low-density residential districts | — | § 267-77E(3) |
| Marquee Sign | Sign attached to/hung from marquee cannot exceed 3 ft in height; marquee min 10 ft above sidewalk | — | Marquee not wider than entrance plus 5 ft each side; continuous if entrances ≤20 ft apart | Marquee cannot extend past 1 ft inside curbline | — | Attached or hung from marquee over entrance | — | § 267-77F |
| Temporary Sign | — | 75 sq ft; no dimension >4 ft for combustible material; signs >60 sq ft must be rigid | — | — | See subtypes: contractor 1 per frontage, real estate 1 per tenancy/frontage | Affixed to building/wall, or window (see variants); may not project over public property more than 4 inches. | — | § 267-77G |
| Temporary Sign - Contractor | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | 1 per frontage | Ground level | — | § 267-77G(12) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Required Business/Commercial/Industrial Premises Identification Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Permanent sign for any ground-floor premises | — | § 267-75 |
| Gasoline/Diesel Pump Price Sign | 12 in | 144 sq in (12 in x 12 in) | 12 in | — | 1 per dispensing side, or 2 max (see exception) | On each gasoline/diesel dispensing pump/device | — | § 142-1, § 142-2, § 142-3 |
| Parking Lot Entrance/Exit Sign | 36 in (main entrance/exit sign); 12 in x 36 in required for "entrance" and "exit" | — | 12 in | — | — | At main entrance and exit of licensed parking lots | — | § 183-16A-D |
| Theater/Hospital/Nursing Home Exit Sign | — | — | — | — | — | At all exits and passageways to exit | — | § 200-10 |
| Illegal Dumping Area Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Any area deemed appropriate by Public Works due to illegal dumping | — | § 140-26B |
| Traffic and Safety Signs by City | — | — | — | — | — | As determined appropriate by Commissioner of Public Safety | — | § 131-23A |

## Prohibited signs in Mount Vernon

- It is unlawful to erect, alter, paint with a new message, redesign, relocate, and reconstruct any sign without first having obtained a permit from the Commissioner.
- No sign, poster, or handbill may be pasted, posted, painted, printed, nailed, attached or affixed by any means to any curb, gutter, flagstone, tree, lamppost, awning post, telegraph pole, telephone pole, public utility pole, public garbage bin, bus shelter, bridge, elevated train structure, highway fence, barrel, box, parking meter, mailbox, traffic control device, traffic stanchion, traffic sign, tree box, tree pit protection device, bench, traffic barrier, hydrant, public pay telephone, personal property maintained on a City street, or other City-owned property, except if posted by or under the direction of the City Council or a City department.
- No sign may be placed or painted on any tree or rock.
- No sign may be placed on any utility pole, except for utility identification or similar purposes.
- No sign shall be placed on any private property without the owner's consent.
- No sign or other advertising structure shall obstruct free ingress to or egress from any door, window, or fire exit, or be attached to a standpipe or fire stair/platform.
- No sign or other advertising structure shall obstruct clear vision at street intersections, interfere with authorized traffic signs or signals, or use words, phrases, or symbols that may mislead or confuse traffic.
- No sign or advertising structure shall constitute a hazard to safety or health due to inadequate design, construction, repair, or maintenance.
- No sign or advertising structure shall be illuminated with lights that glare onto adjacent residential premises or districts, operators of motor vehicles, or pedestrians.
- No sign or advertising structure shall have flashing, moving, rotating, blinking, scintillating, or intermittent lighting.
- No signs other than government signs shall be erected on public property unless consent is obtained from the City.
- No moving signs, pennants, revolving or oscillating signs, ribbons, streamers or similar attached devices are permitted except for temporary holiday or grand opening displays.
- No sign shall advertise a business or product which is no longer in existence at that location.
- Billboards may not be newly erected.
- No roof signs may hereafter be erected and no sign may extend above the roof line, except for time and temperature devices with no advertising.
- No projection sign shall be secured with wire, strips of wood or nails, nor shall any projection sign be hung or secured to any other sign.
- V-shaped projecting signs (two single-faced signs erected without a roof or ceiling) are not permitted.

## Signs exempt from permit in Mount Vernon

- Replacing copy or changing the message on an approved sign specifically designed for replaceable copy does not require a new sign permit.
- Painting, cleaning, and other normal maintenance and repair of a sign or sign structure, unless it involves a structural change or a change in the message, does not require a permit.
- Posting of handbills, posters, notices, signs, advertisements, or other printed material by or under the direction of the City Council or a City department is exempt from prohibitions regarding postings on public property.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required for erection, alteration, painting with a new message, redesign, relocation, or reconstruction of any sign, to be obtained from the Commissioner.
- If an applicant does not wish to implement the design conditions of approval from the Commissioner, the matter is referred to the Architectural Review Board for an advisory opinion.
- Any applicant aggrieved by a permit decision may appeal to the Sign Review Appeals Board, which may affirm, reverse, or modify the decision.
- In cases where a sign variance is needed as part of a site plan, special permit, or subdivision application to the Planning Board, the applicant must apply to the Sign Appeals Board for the variance; the Appeals Board will forward the application to the Planning Board for recommendation prior to making a decision.
- Applicants may be required to appear before the Sign Appeals Board if permanent interior sign applications are reviewed and the Commissioner finds it necessary.
- A Planning Department review for consistency with design guidelines is required after formal submission of the sign permit application to the Commissioner.

## Full detail

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

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