# Sign Regulations in Deerfield Township, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Deerfield Township, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/deerfield-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-10-24
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://www.choosedeerfield.com/media/government/zoning-resources/DTZR_Revision_2025%20Route%2022%20&%203%20Amendments-FINAL%20DoNotModifyP2.pdf#page=157)

## At a glance

Deerfield Township, Ohio regulates 28 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Entrance Monument - Ground-Mounted Sign (Residential Subdivision/Development)s in the Residential Districts; Park Residential Conservation District (PR-C); Rural Residential Agriculture District (R-RA); Residential Single-Family District (R-SF); Residential Two-Family District (R-TF); Residential Multi-Family District (R-MF); Residential Transitional District (R-TR) zoning district are capped at 5 ft tall and 30 sq ft per side (max 2 sides), with a Min 5 ft from public right-of-way line setback (Sec. Article 9, Section 9.07:B.1.a-i). Most commercial signs in Deerfield Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | 5 ft | Changeable copy area ≤ 75% of total sign area; electronic messaging area ≤ 25% of total | — |
| Residential Districts; Park Residential Conservation District (PR-C); Rural Residential Agriculture District (R-RA); Residential Single-Family District (R-SF); Residential Two-Family District (R-TF); Residential Multi-Family District (R-MF); Residential Transitional District (R-TR) | 5 | 40 ft | 350 sq ft per side (max 2 sides) | — |
| Nonresidential Districts; Open Space & Parks District (OS-P); Office District (O); Office Warehouse District (O-W); Neighborhood Business District (N-B); General Business District (G-B); Business Redevelopment District (B-RD); Light Manufacturing District (L-M) | 14 | 40 ft | 350 sq ft per side (max 2 sides) | — |
| PUD Planned Unit Development District (PUD) | 3 | Per underlying district | Per underlying district | — |
| Route 22 & 3 Overlay District (22/3-O) | 2 | Per underlying district unless superseded | Per underlying district unless superseded | — |
| Business South (B-South) Focus Area Overlay District | 1 | Per underlying district unless superseded | Per underlying district unless superseded | — |
| Twenty-Mile Stand Focus Area Overlay District | 1 | Per underlying district unless superseded | Per underlying district unless superseded | — |
| Business North (B-North) Focus Area Overlay District | 1 | Per underlying district unless superseded | Per underlying district unless superseded | — |
| Transitional North (T-North) Focus Area Overlay District | 1 | Per underlying district unless superseded | Per underlying district unless superseded | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 9 zones)

### Residential Districts; Park Residential Conservation District (PR-C); Rural Residential Agriculture District (R-RA); Residential Single-Family District (R-SF); Residential Two-Family District (R-TF); Residential Multi-Family District (R-MF); Residential Transitional District (R-TR)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Entrance Monument - Ground-Mounted Sign (Residential Subdivision/Development) | 5 ft | 30 sq ft per side (max 2 sides) | — | Min 5 ft from public right-of-way line | One ground-mounted sign per development entrance | At each development entrance along a township, county, or state road | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:B.1.a-i |
| Entrance Monument - Wall Sign (Attached to Fence/Wall) | Not to exceed height of fence or wall to which attached | 30 sq ft per sign | — | Min 5 ft from public right-of-way line | Up to two wall signs per development entrance | At each development entrance on a fence or wall | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:B.2.a-h |
| Temporary Sign (Residential Districts - Noncommercial Speech) | 8 ft | 35 sq ft | — | Min 10 ft from right-of-way line | — | Within residential districts; not in right-of-way | — | Article 9, Section 9.08:B.1-6; 9.08:C |
| Temporary Sign (Development/Construction) | 10 ft | 64 sq ft per side (max 2 sides) | — | Min 10 ft from right-of-way line | One temporary on-premise sign per construction site | On site of development project or subdivision under construction | — | Article 9, Section 9.08:D; 9.08:B.1-6 |
| Outdoor Advertising Sign (Billboard) - Agricultural Lot | 40 ft | 350 sq ft per side (max 2 sides) | — | Per district minimum setbacks; plus separation distances as listed | — | On lots used for agricultural purposes (may be within residential districts such as R-RA) | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:E.1-12 |

### Nonresidential Districts; Open Space & Parks District (OS-P); Office District (O); Office Warehouse District (O-W); Neighborhood Business District (N-B); General Business District (G-B); Business Redevelopment District (B-RD); Light Manufacturing District (L-M)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Single Occupant Building) | 7 ft | 35 sq ft | — | Min 5 ft from right-of-way and any side/rear lot line | One ground sign per lot | Per lot, within nonresidential districts | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:C.1.a-b,d-g |
| Freestanding Sign (Multi-Tenant Building) | 10 ft | 75 sq ft | — | Min 5 ft from right-of-way and any side/rear lot line | One ground sign per lot | Per lot serving multi-tenant buildings | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:C.1.a,c-g |
| Freestanding Sign - Large Floor Area Structures (50,000 - 200,000 sf) | 12 ft | 150 sq ft | — | — | One freestanding sign | Office building, office park/campus, multi-tenant building or other property with at least 50,000 sq ft of retail, office, or industrial floor area | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:C.1.h.i-iv, v |
| Freestanding Sign - Large Floor Area Structures (200,001+ sf) | 20 ft | 150 sq ft | — | — | One freestanding sign | Office building, office park/campus, multi-tenant building or other property with ≥200,001 sq ft of floor area | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:C.1.h.i-iv, v |
| Ground Sign - Additional (Large Floor Area Structures) | 7 ft | 50 sq ft | — | — | One additional ground sign permitted | On sites qualifying as Large Floor Area Structures in addition to the permitted freestanding sign | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:C.1.h.vi |
| Freestanding Sign - Changeable Copy (Nonresidential Districts) | — | Changeable copy area ≤ 50% of total sign area | — | — | — | On freestanding (ground) signs in nonresidential districts | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:C.i.1-6 |
| Outdoor Advertising Sign (Billboard) | 40 ft | 350 sq ft per side (max 2 sides) | — | Per district minimum setbacks; plus separation distances as listed | — | Permitted in all nonresidential districts; also allowed on lots used for agricultural purposes (see Residential/Agricultural entry) | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:E.1-12 |
| Temporary Sign (Nonresidential Zoning Districts) | 7 ft | Up to 100 sq ft (per formula) | — | Min 10 ft from right-of-way line | One temporary on-premise sign per allowed period | On-premise in nonresidential districts; not in right-of-way | — | Article 9, Section 9.08:E; 9.08:B.1-6 |

### PUD Planned Unit Development District (PUD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Underlying District) | Per underlying district | Per underlying district | — | Per underlying district | Per underlying district | Per underlying base zoning for the PUD site | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:D |
| Wall/Projecting/Canopy/Awning Signs (Underlying District) | — | Per underlying district | — | — | Per underlying district | Per underlying base zoning for the PUD site | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:D; 9.07:C.2 |
| Temporary Signs (Underlying District) | Per underlying district | Per underlying district | — | Per underlying district | Per underlying district | Per underlying base zoning | — | Article 9, Section 9.07:D; 9.08 |

## Prohibited signs in Deerfield Township

- No sign shall be erected, established, modified, created, or maintained without a zoning permit unless otherwise exempted (Section 9.02.B).
- No sign shall be installed, erected, or attached in violation of building or fire code; electrical components must comply with local electrical code (Sections 9.03.D–E).
- Signs are prohibited in the public right-of-way unless specifically permitted (Sections 9.05.A and 9.09.B).
- Pennants, banners (except as allowed under temporary sign provisions), streamers, and similar attention-grabbing devices are prohibited (Section 9.05.B).
- Roof signs and signs that extend above or beyond the building façade are prohibited except where specifically permitted (Section 9.05.C).
- Flags intended for advertising or commercial purposes are prohibited (Section 9.05.D).
- Signs emitting sounds are prohibited (Section 9.05.E).
- Portable advertising signs and signs mounted on trailers, boats, or motor vehicles are prohibited, except those on licensed commercial delivery and service vehicles (Section 9.05.F).
- Beacons and searchlights are prohibited except for emergency purposes (Section 9.05.G).
- Off-premise signs are prohibited unless permitted as outdoor advertising signs (billboards) per Section 9.07.E (Section 9.05.H).
- Flashing, moving, blinking, rotating, inflatable signs, tethered balloons, ribbons, spinners, exposed light bulbs, strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background, and similar attention-getting devices are prohibited (Section 9.05.I).
- Merchandise, equipment, products, vehicles, or other items not themselves for sale placed for attention-getting, identification, or advertising purposes are prohibited (Section 9.05.J).
- Permanent signs erected or attached to accessory structures are prohibited (Section 9.05.K).
- No sign shall project over and obstruct any window, door, fire escape, balcony, platform, stairway, ladder, vent, or other means of ingress of any building (Section 9.06.C).
- No sign shall be attached to a utility pole, tree, trash receptacle, bench, or other structure not intended or approved as a sign support (Section 9.06.D).
- Signs shall not be constructed, maintained, or illuminated in a manner that obstructs vision for drivers or pedestrians or creates a fire or safety hazard; subject to visibility triangle rules (Section 9.09.C.2).

## Signs exempt from permit in Deerfield Township

- Temporary noncommercial speech signs, subject to applicable temporary sign provisions (Section 9.04.A).
- Signs bearing no commercial message installed by governmental employees or officials in the course of their duties (Section 9.04.B).
- Signs conforming with the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and bearing no commercial message (Section 9.04.C).
- Reflectors and safety signs/devices used to mark driveways, towers, and potentially dangerous structures/situations, provided no commercial message is displayed (Section 9.04.D).
- Signs required by a state or federal statute (Section 9.04.E).
- Signs required by a court order (Section 9.04.F).
- Signs installed by public utilities in their rights-of-way or on their facilities bearing no commercial message other than that necessary to identify the use (Section 9.04.G).
- Signs installed by a transit company along its routes that relate to schedules or other information about the transit route (Section 9.04.H).
- Flags, emblems, and insignias of national, state, or local political subdivisions (Section 9.04.I).
- Commemorative plaques placed on a structure by recognized historical agencies; must bear no commercial message unless compliant; not to exceed 6 sq ft and not illuminated (Section 9.04.J).
- Neighborhood Crime Watch signs up to 8 sq ft in area and 6 ft in height (Section 9.04.K).
- Name and/or address descriptions mounted to the front wall of a building or to a lamppost in the front yard not to exceed 2 sq ft (Section 9.04.L).
- Window signs, provided they are located to allow clear visibility into the building for fire and police protection (Section 9.04.M).
- Interior signs within a stadium, open-air theater, shopping center, arena, or similar use that are viewable only by persons within such facility (Section 9.04.N).
- Directional ground-mounted monument signs with no commercial message, not to exceed two per driveway, indicating entrance/exit; max area 8 sq ft and max height 4 ft (Section 9.04.O).
- Works of art that do not display a commercial message, provided they meet other applicable standards (Section 9.04.P).
- Architectural features that are part of a building or freestanding structure are not considered signs and are exempt (Section 9.04.Q).
- Holiday decorations for religious or national holidays that may blink, flash, or move, provided they do not interfere with traffic, present hazards, or be detrimental to public health, safety, or morals (Section 9.04.R).
- Routine maintenance of any sign, not involving structural changes (Section 9.04.S).
- Changes of message, either manually or electronically, on a message board or reader board, subject to limitations in this article (Section 9.04.T).
- No zoning permit is required for maintenance of a sign or for a change of copy on painted, printed, or changeable copy signs (Section 9.02.C).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A zoning permit is required before any sign is erected, established, modified, created, or maintained, unless exempt (Section 9.02.B).
- Changes of sign panels or letters require a zoning permit (Section 9.03.F).
- Electronic changeable copy signs must include manufacturer certification of preset illumination limits as part of the sign permit application and protection from end-user manipulation (Section 9.07.C.1.i.6).
- Variance by the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) is required to allow illumination of temporary signs (Section 9.08.B.3).
- The BZA may grant changes to nonconforming signs that decrease nonconformity (Section 9.10.B).
- No master sign plan requirement is specified in the provided text.

## 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 9 zoning districts in Deerfield Township — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Deerfield+Township+OH&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-deerfield-township

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