# Sign Regulations in Port Washington North, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Port Washington North, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/port-washington-north
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/10918405#10918405)

## At a glance

Port Washington North, New York regulates 26 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Ground Sign - Undeveloped or Developed Plots in the Business Districts, Industrial Districts, Other than Residential Districts zoning district are capped at 3 ft (sign); 7 ft (overall height above grade) tall and 5 ft wide, with a Not within 5 ft of front property line or any property line abutting a street; minimum front yard setback; corner lots may set diagonally, subject to sight lines setback (Sec. §135-8B(5)). Most commercial signs in Port Washington North require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residence Districts | 8 | — | 20 sq ft | — |
| Business Districts, Industrial Districts, Other than Residential Districts | 22 | 18 ft above ground level | 12 x 12 in (1 sq ft) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residence Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 1 per premises | On premises, displays street number, name and profession of occupant | — | §135-8A(1), §135-3B, §135-4B |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | Minimum front and side yard setbacks of district | 1 per property | On premises, stating property for sale or rent | — | §135-8A(2), §135-3B, §135-4B |
| Construction Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | Minimum front and side yard setbacks of district | — | Maintained on building or structure while construction is ongoing | — | §135-8A(3) |
| Legal Notice Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Put up by public authority or required by law | — | §135-8A(4) |
| Transportation/Utility Directional Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Projects not more than 12 inches into right-of-way | — | §135-8A(5) |
| Subdivision Ground Sign | — | 20 sq ft | — | At least 20 ft from all property lines and must conform to established front and side yard setbacks | — | On undeveloped property or subdivisions being developed | — | §135-6A |
| Danger/Precautionary Sign (Temporary) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | Relating to premises or highway conditions | — | §135-9A |
| Free Speech Sign | — | 4 sq ft or same size as commercial sign for the district, whichever is larger | — | 20 ft from all property lines or same as commercial sign requirement, whichever is less | — | Subject to setback requirements | — | §135-12 |

### Business Districts, Industrial Districts, Other than Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 1 per premises | On premises, displays street number, name and profession of occupant | — | §135-8B(1), cross-reference §135-8A(1) |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | Minimum front and side yard setbacks of district | 1 per property | On premises, stating property for sale or rent | — | §135-8B(1), cross-reference §135-8A(2) |
| Wall Sign (Storefronts ≤15 ft frontage) | 2.5 ft | — | 80% of total street frontage | — | 1 per exterior wall facing public street | On each exterior wall/storefront facing a public street | — | §135-8B(2)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Storefronts >15 ft, ≤25 ft frontage) | 3 ft | — | 80% of total street frontage | — | 1 per exterior wall facing public street | On each exterior wall/storefront facing a public street | — | §135-8B(2)(b) |
| Wall Sign (Storefronts >25 ft, ≤40 ft frontage) | 3.5 ft | — | 20 ft or 75% of total street frontage, whichever is greater | — | 1 per exterior wall facing public street | On each exterior wall/storefront facing a public street | — | §135-8B(2)(c) |
| Wall Sign (Storefronts >40 ft, ≤75 ft frontage) | 4 ft | — | 30 ft or 70% of total street frontage, whichever is greater | — | 1 per exterior wall facing public street | On each exterior wall/storefront facing a public street | — | §135-8B(2)(d) |
| Wall Sign (Storefronts >75 ft frontage) | 4.5 ft | — | 52.5 ft or 50% of total street frontage, whichever is greater | — | 1 per exterior wall facing public street | On each exterior wall/storefront facing a public street | — | §135-8B(2)(e) |
| Freestanding Ground Sign - Undeveloped or Developed Plot | 3 ft (sign); 7 ft (overall height above grade) | — | 5 ft | Not within 5 ft of front property line or any property line abutting a street; minimum front yard setback; corner lots may set diagonally, subject to sight lines | 1 per plot where no other advertising is on building | Parallel to street line or at owner option, diagonally at corner if sight lines not impacted | — | §135-8B(5) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Event Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Anywhere permitted | — | §135-11 |
| No Smoking Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Prominently posted where smoking is prohibited under Ch. 170 | — | §170-4 |
| Tobacco/Vape Sale Age Restriction Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Conspicuous place at point of sale for age-restricted products | — | §52-4 |

## Prohibited signs in Port Washington North

- No signs, except directional and warning signs erected by or with the approval of the Building Inspector, shall be erected or maintained on the right-of-way of any public highway.
- No sign shall be erected or maintained where, because of the design, such sign might be confused as a traffic directional or stop sign, or might interfere with the vision or discernment of a traffic directional or stop-and-go sign, or might otherwise imperil the safety of travel on streets and highways.
- No right-angle or projecting sign extending over the public right-of-way shall be permitted, except marquee signs as classified under § 135-8B(3).
- No sign that is not expressly permitted in this chapter shall be permitted.
- No commercial sign shall be erected or maintained on any real property improved with a one- or two-family dwelling.
- 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.
- No revolving signs are permitted.
- No signs which are lighted with intermittent flashing or animated illumination, except time and temperature signs, are permitted.
- No sign or artificial lighting source or reflector connected to or used therewith is permitted if such sign or lighting conflicts with or may be mistaken for a traffic signal.
- No illuminated signs or other lighting devices, flashing lights, strobe lights, and lights that outline any part of a building such as a window, door, gable, roof, sidewalk, or corner are permitted.
- No self-illuminated signs wherein the light source itself is shaped and utilized to form the sign (for example, neon bulbs forming words) are permitted.
- Signs which seek to advertise businesses, activities, products or services not conducted or sold on the property where such signs are located or not expressly permitted by other sections are prohibited.
- The erection or maintenance of pole signs, ground signs, and tower signs is prohibited except as specifically regulated by the chapter.
- No sign relating to an event of limited duration may be erected more than 30 days before the event, and must be removed no later than two weeks after the event (except as otherwise provided for free speech signs).

## Signs exempt from permit in Port Washington North

- Danger or precautionary signs of two square feet or less relating to the premises or a sign warning of conditions or dangers of travel on a highway may be erected and maintained for a temporary period without application to the Building Inspector for a permit.
- Free speech signs (noncommercial signs solely for constitutionally protected free speech, including political and election signs) require no fee.
- Signs required by law in any legal proceeding or put up by public authority are exempt from fees.
- Notice of any railroad, transportation company or corporation, necessary for direction, information, or safety of the public, is exempt from fees (must meet certain size and projection criteria).
- A 'No Smoking' sign or international 'No Smoking' symbol must be posted where smoking is prohibited.
- A sign stating the prohibition of sale of age-restricted products to minors must be posted in a conspicuous place at the point of sale in accordance with § 52-4.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No commercial sign shall be erected, maintained, displayed, altered, rebuilt, enlarged, extended, or relocated within the Village without a conditional use permit from the Board of Trustees.
- No noncommercial sign shall be erected, maintained, displayed, altered, rebuilt, enlarged, extended, or relocated within the Village without a permit from the Building Inspector.
- Applications for permits for commercial signs must include written consent of the property owner and details as to the design, and may require documents such as color drawings to scale.
- Free speech sign applications must be processed on an expedited basis and only public safety can be grounds for denial; appeals may be taken to the Board of Trustees or through judicial challenge.
- The Board of Trustees may vary any requirement in order to alleviate practical difficulty upon application, and may revoke permits if conditions are violated.
- Signs without valid permits must be removed within 30 days of permit expiration/revocation or when the business is no longer operating at the permitted premises (whichever occurs first).

## Full detail

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

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