# Sign Regulations in Watertown, New York

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Watertown, New York (NY)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-york/watertown
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-27
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/42111952#42111952)

## At a glance

Watertown, New York regulates 15 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Sandwich Board Signs in the Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU), Urban Mixed Use (UMU), Downtown, Waterfront Overlay zoning district are capped at 4 feet tall, 12 square feet, and 20% sidewalk width (if on sidewalk) wide (Sec. §310-30.C(2-9)). Most commercial signs in Watertown require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R District | 4 | 20 feet | 10 square feet | — |
| Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU), Urban Mixed Use (UMU), Downtown, Waterfront Overlay | 9 | 20 feet | 65 square feet | — |
| Commercial, Industrial, Planned Campus | 9 | Commercial: 50 feet; Industrial/Planned Campus: 20 feet | 200 sq ft per sign | — |
| Parks and Open Space | 8 | 20 feet | 100 square feet | — |
| Planned Development Districts (PDD) | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | — | — |

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

### Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU), Urban Mixed Use (UMU), Downtown, Waterfront Overlay

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign | — | 65 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | §310-27 A, C, D |
| Wall Sign | — | NMU: 20 sq ft; UMU: 50 sq ft; Downtown: 50 sq ft; Waterfront Overlay: 50 sq ft | — | — | — | Flat, unornamented building surfaces; must not extend above roofline or parapet | — | §310-28.A(1), §310-30.A(1-4), §310-25 |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 feet | NMU: 20 sq ft; UMU: 50 sq ft; Downtown: 50 sq ft; Waterfront Overlay: 50 sq ft | — | — | 1 per parcel | — | — | §310-28.A(1), §310-30.B(2-6) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 feet | 12 square feet | 20% sidewalk width (if on sidewalk) | — | 1 per ground floor occupant, up to 5/parcel | Sidewalk or ground adjacent to business, minimum 10 ft apart if multiple | — | §310-30.C(2-9) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | 6 square feet (in addition to total allowed sign surface area) | — | — | — | On face of supporting canopy, cannot project horizontally beyond canopy | — | §310-30.D(1-3) |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Front face of structure only; no projection over property line | — | §310-30.E(1-3) |
| Window Sign (Upper Floor) | — | Up to 50% of window | — | — | — | Upper floors, window surface area | — | §310-28.A(2) |
| EMC | — | 12 square feet (not to exceed 50% of allowed sign surface area) | — | — | 1 per lot (two faces allowed, see above) | On-premises only | — | §310-31.B(1-9), (3)(a) |

### Commercial, Industrial, Planned Campus

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign | — | 65 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | §310-27 A, C, D |
| Wall Sign | — | 200 sq ft per sign | — | — | — | Flat, unornamented building surfaces; must not extend above roofline or parapet | — | §310-28.A(1), §310-30.A(1-4), §310-25 |
| Freestanding Sign | Commercial: 50 feet; Industrial/Planned Campus: 20 feet | Commercial: 200 sq ft; Industrial: 200 sq ft; Planned Campus: 200 sq ft | — | — | 1 per parcel | — | — | §310-28.A(1), §310-30.B(2-6) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 feet | 12 square feet | 20% sidewalk width (if on sidewalk) | — | 1 per ground floor occupant, up to 5/parcel | Sidewalk or ground adjacent to business, minimum 10 ft apart if multiple | — | §310-30.C(2-9) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | 6 square feet (in addition to total allowed sign surface area) | — | — | — | On face of supporting canopy, cannot project horizontally beyond canopy | — | §310-30.D(1-3) |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Front face of structure only; no projection over property line | — | §310-30.E(1-3) |
| Window Sign (Upper Floor) | — | Up to 50% of window | — | — | — | Upper floors, window surface area | — | §310-28.A(2) |
| EMC | — | 18 square feet (not to exceed 50% of allowed sign surface area) | — | — | 1 per lot (two faces allowed, see above) | On-premises only | — | §310-31.B(1-9), (3)(b-c) |

### Parks and Open Space

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign | — | 65 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | §310-27 A, C, D |
| Wall Sign | — | 20 sq ft per sign | — | — | — | Flat, unornamented building surfaces; must not extend above roofline or parapet | — | §310-28.A(1), §310-30.A(1-4), §310-25 |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 feet | 20 square feet per sign | — | — | 1 per parcel | — | — | §310-28.A(1), §310-30.B(2-6) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 feet | 12 square feet | 20% sidewalk width (if on sidewalk) | — | 1 per ground floor occupant, up to 5/parcel | Sidewalk or ground adjacent to business, minimum 10 ft apart if multiple | — | §310-30.C(2-9) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | 6 square feet (in addition to total allowed sign surface area) | — | — | — | On face of supporting canopy, cannot project horizontally beyond canopy | — | §310-30.D(1-3) |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Front face of structure only; no projection over property line | — | §310-30.E(1-3) |
| Window Sign (Upper Floor) | — | Up to 50% of window | — | — | — | Upper floors, window surface area | — | §310-28.A(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (Public Park - External Street) | — | 100 square feet | — | — | — | Along external public streets for City-owned public park/recreation land | — | §310-28.A(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Watertown

- Signs shall not be located in such a manner as to restrict vision of vehicular traffic or impair safety.
- Signs which by their use or simulation of colors, design or placement, tend to confuse, detract from or in any other way obstruct the utilization of traffic regulatory devices are prohibited.
- In no event shall an illuminated sign or lighting device be placed or directed so as to permit the beams or illumination therefrom to cause glare or reflection upon a public street, sidewalk or adjacent premises.
- No sign shall be placed or erected on or over any City-owned property without first obtaining written approval in the form of a license agreement from the City Manager in addition to any required permit.
- All signs must conform to the requirements of this section; installation of a sign without a permit or not in conformity with the requirements constitutes a violation.
- Signs not maintained to the standards set in this section constitute a violation.

## Signs exempt from permit in Watertown

- No sign permit shall be required for maintenance of an existing sign.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required for the installation of any sign allowed with a permit before installation may commence.
- A building permit does not constitute approval for signage; a sign permit is required in addition to any building permit issued.
- Application for a sign permit must be made on forms provided by the Bureau of Code Enforcement, signed by the property owner or accompanied by an affidavit of authorization.
- Each application for a sign permit may be for one or more signs.
- A fee as established by the City Council must accompany each application for a sign permit.

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

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