# Sign Regulations in Skaneateles, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Skaneateles, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/skaneateles
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/6745159#6745159)

## At a glance

Skaneateles, New York regulates 36 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Option 2)s in the Residential A-3 District, Nonresidential districts zoning district are capped at 10 ft tall and 12 sq ft per side (24 sq ft total if two-sided), with a Minimum 4 ft from public highway or street setback (Sec. §225-65A(1)(b)). Most commercial signs in Skaneateles require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 27 | 15 ft | 100 sq ft per face | — |
| Residential A-3 District, Nonresidential districts | 8 | 12 ft above ground level | 50 sq ft | — |
| Public Lands PL District | 1 | — | Required by agency | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Upper Floor/Basement Ground-Level Entry Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | One per business on non-ground floor | Ground-level entry | — | §225-61A(5) |
| For Sale/Lease/Rental Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | At least 3 ft from nearest boundary of street or any lot line | One per building face on a public highway | On-premises only, not between sidewalk and street, nor nearer than 3 ft to street or lot line | — | §225-62A |
| Residential Building Professional Office/Home Occupation Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | At least 3 ft from nearest boundary of any street or lot line | One | On-premises, not between sidewalk and street, nor nearer than 3 ft to street or lot line | — | §225-62B |
| Occupant Sign | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | One | On-premises | — | §225-62C |
| Construction Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | One | On-premises where construction/repair/renovation is in progress | — | §225-62E |
| Gasoline Service Station - Pole Sign | 15 ft | 12 sq ft per face | — | — | One per station | On the premises of gasoline service station | — | §225-64B(1) |
| Gasoline Service Station - Portable Sign | 4 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | One per station | On premises | — | §225-64B(4) |
| Parking Lot Sign | 6 ft (if freestanding) | 9 sq ft | — | — | One | Within private off-street parking only | — | §225-64E |

### Residential A-3 District, Nonresidential districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Option 1) | — | 50 sq ft | — | — | — | Attached or applied to building to identify legally established business or service | — | §225-65A(1)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign (Option 2) | 10 ft | 12 sq ft per side (24 sq ft total if two-sided) | — | Minimum 4 ft from public highway or street | One freestanding sign; one wall sign if criteria met | Freestanding, on premises, must be set back at least 4 ft from public highway/street | — | §225-65A(1)(b) |
| Overhead Sign (Option 3) | — | 25 sq ft (exclusive of entranceway support structure) | — | — | One per qualifying business | Attached and placed over entranceway to business on a lot of at least 3 acres | — | §225-65A(1)(c) |
| Wall Sign (Shared Common Entry; see Option Notes) | — | — | — | — | — | Shared building face | — | §225-65A(2) |
| Wall Sign (Single Occupant Building; see Option Notes) | — | — | — | — | Two per single-occupant building with required entrance | Building with entrance from central municipal parking lot | — | §225-65A(3) |
| Multiple-Occupant Business Complex Sign - Complex Identification | 10 ft (freestanding) | 25 sq ft per building face (wall sign); 16 sq ft if freestanding | — | — | One per face | One per building face on public street/highway/parking/drive-through | — | §225-65B(1) |
| Multiple-Occupant Business Complex Sign - Individual Business | 12 ft above ground level | 25 sq ft | — | — | One per business with exterior display window or entrance | Shared building face for each business with exterior window/entrance on that face | — | §225-65B(2) |
| Multiple-Occupant Business Complex Directory | — | — | — | — | One directory per building face with public entrance | One per building face on street/highway/parking lot with public entrance | — | §225-65B(3) |

### Public Lands PL District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Governmental Project Sign | — | Required by agency | — | — | — | On/adjacent to public governmental project | — | §225-65C, §225-65D |

## Prohibited signs in Skaneateles

- No sign or other device for advertising purposes, whether new or existing, shall be erected, established or altered in any district in the Village except in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.
- Any part of a sign projecting more than 12 inches from the front face of the building is prohibited.
- Portable or mobile signs, including sandwich-board-style signs for commercial or business advertising, exceeding the time limits of or not included in the definitions of temporary signs, are prohibited, except as otherwise noted.
- Signs or sign supports on or projecting above the upper roof or parapet of any building are prohibited.
- Any sign unrelated to a business or profession, commodity or service offered upon the immediate premises where the sign is located, other than as provided under temporary signs, is prohibited.
- No sign or part thereof shall contain or consist of pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, or other moving, animated, fluttering or revolving devices.
- No sign, permanent or temporary, shall be located so as to impair traffic or driver visibility or in any manner create a hazard to the health, safety and welfare of the general public.
- No sign shall be attached to a fence, public light standard, utility pole, rock or tree.
- No sign is allowed which advertises a branded product and which leaves less than 80% of the sign area for identification of the business except for cases where the majority of the floor or lot area on the premises is devoted to that specific product.
- No visible gas-filled tubes (neon) shall be permitted. No sign may utilize bare light sources, including neon or fluorescent.

## Signs exempt from permit in Skaneateles

- Signs erected and maintained pursuant to and in discharge of any governmental function or required by any law, ordinance or governmental regulation or the flag or insignia of any nation or of any governmental agency are not considered 'signs' under this ordinance.
- One on-premises 'for sale, lease or rental' sign per building face on a public highway, not exceeding four square feet, not illuminated, and per placement restrictions.
- One on-premises sign, either freestanding or attached, in connection with a residential building with permitted professional offices or home occupations; not exceeding two square feet, not illuminated with colored lights, and per placement restrictions.
- One on-premises sign denoting the name and address of the occupants, not exceeding one square foot.
- Warning, private drive, posted or no-trespassing signs, not illuminated, not exceeding two square feet per face.
- One on-premises construction sign (architect, engineer, or contractor), not exceeding 12 square feet in area.
- One on-premises institutional sign or bulletin board (places of worship, libraries, museums, educational facilities, social clubs, societies), not exceeding 20 square feet, except as approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
- Certain temporary signs, such as community/political/charitable/athletic event signs, private owner household merchandise signs (like garage sales), and certain promotional window signs and new business signs, all subject to area, duration, and placement requirements.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No specific requirement for a master sign plan or comprehensive sign plan is identified for all zones or developments in the ordinance.
- Application for a sign permit requires detailed drawings/blueprints showing construction details, lettering, pictorial matter, illumination, placement, and method of lighting.
- For appeals, if a proposed sign does not comply with regulations and is rejected, an appeal may be made to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
- Multiple-occupant business complexes require written consent of the building owner to become a multiple-occupant complex with signage privileges.
- Permits are required for most permanent sign types outside of the stated exemptions. Permit applications can be reviewed and potentially rejected/appealed, but there is no blanket master sign plan process spelled out.

## Full detail

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

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