# Sign Regulations in Allen Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Allen Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/allen-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/30270826#30270826)

## At a glance

Allen Township, Pennsylvania regulates 17 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Address/Building Number Signs in the Residential Districts zoning district are capped at 6 ft (top of sign); minimum 3 ft from ground tall, 2 sq ft per side, and 6 in x 18 in (rectangular sign); numbers 4 in high wide, with a Not in right-of-way, but adjacent; may be on building if within 30 ft of roadway setback (Sec. §21-402.1–3, §21-402.6). Most commercial signs in Allen Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts | 8 | 6 ft (top of sign); minimum 3 ft from ground | 32 sq ft per side | — |
| Nonresidential Districts | 3 | 20 ft | 100 sq ft per side | — |
| Industrial Commercial Zoning District, Highway Commercial Zoning District | 2 | 30 ft above roadway centerline | 300 sq ft per face; maximum 2 faces | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | 10 ft | 12 sq ft per side (nonresidential districts), 4 sq ft per side (residential districts) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Address/Building Number Sign | 6 ft (top of sign); minimum 3 ft from ground | 2 sq ft per side | 6 in x 18 in (rectangular sign); numbers 4 in high | Not in right-of-way, but adjacent; may be on building if within 30 ft of roadway | 1 per addressable building | On approved post at driveway intersection with road, on the building if within 30 ft of roadway, or on USPS mailbox at driveway end (if permitted); not in right-of-way unless preexisting approved structure | — | §21-402.1–3, §21-402.6 |
| Name/Occupancy Sign | — | 2 sq ft per side | — | — | — | Premises for which it identifies | — | §27-1703.1 |
| Bulletin/Announcement Board or Identification Freestanding Sign (Permitted Nonresidential Building/Use) | — | 12 sq ft per side (freestanding); 15% of building face area (attached sign, one allowed) | — | — | 1 freestanding + 1 attached | At building (attached) or on property (freestanding) | — | §27-1703.2 |
| Sign Associated with Lawfully Maintained Nonconforming Use | — | 2 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 | — | — | §27-1703.3 |
| Real Estate 'For Sale' or 'For Rent' Sign | — | 12 sq ft per side | — | — | — | On property | — | §27-1703.4 |
| Temporary Contractors', Developers', Architects', or Builders' Sign | — | 32 sq ft per side | — | — | — | On the premises to which they relate | — | §27-1703.5 |
| No Trespassing / Private Property / Hunting or Fishing Control Sign | — | 4 sq ft per side | — | — | — | On subject premises | — | §27-1703.6 |
| Temporary Garage Sale / Personal Property Sale Sign | — | 9 sq ft per side | — | — | — | On the premises | — | §27-1703.7 |

### Industrial Commercial Zoning District, Highway Commercial Zoning District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Billboard | 30 ft above roadway centerline | 300 sq ft per face; maximum 2 faces | — | Setback minimum = sign total height | — | Within 100 linear ft of Nor-Bath Boulevard (PA Route 329) right-of-way, located in side or rear yard, not within other ROW, setback at least height of sign from property line | — | §27-1705.4A–K, §27-1705.5 |
| Billboard (Digital Display) | 30 ft above roadway centerline | 300 sq ft per face; maximum 2 faces | — | Setback minimum = sign total height | — | Same as standard billboard | — | §27-1705.5A-E |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directional Off-Premises Sign (General) | 10 ft | 12 sq ft per side (nonresidential districts), 4 sq ft per side (residential districts) | — | Outside required yard; not within 50 ft from intersection | Max 4 per principal use in township | No more than 50 ft from intersection of ROW lines, outside of any required yard; only one sign prior to each intersection needed to reach destination | — | §27-1705.1 |
| Temporary Event Directional Sign (Nonilluminated) | — | 12 sq ft per side | — | — | — | — | — | §27-1705.2 |
| Temporary Garage Sale / Residential Sale Sign - Off-Premises | — | 9 sq ft per side | — | — | Max 4 per sale | — | — | §27-1705.3 |
| Street Name Sign (Roadway) | — | — | — | — | At each intersection | Mounted at each roadway intersection, faces parallel to roadway named; pole 10 ft tall or per MUTCD/Township standards; public & private roads | — | §21-403 |

## Prohibited signs in Allen Township

- No sign or other advertising device with visible moving or movable parts or with flashing, animated, or intermittent illumination shall be erected or maintained.
- No sign shall be permitted which interferes with highway safety, such as direct beams which may interfere with highway visibility or any light which may be interpreted as a traffic or emergency signal.
- No sign or other advertising device attached to a building shall project more than six inches above the roof or parapet line nor more than 12 inches out from the wall to which it is attached, except signs not exceeding six square feet in area may project more than 12 inches if they do not interfere with pedestrian flow.
- No sign or other advertising device shall be located within 15 feet of any side property line, except as specifically permitted for certain residential signs.
- No sign or other advertising device shall be located within the lines of any street right-of-way nor in any way interfere with normal pedestrian and vehicular flow, including vehicles and transportable devices.
- Animated signs are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Allen Township

- Symbols or other clearly decorative items not conveying a message as defined in the ordinance are not construed to be signs and are not subject to the sign requirements.
- Zoning permits are not required for signs covered under § 27-1703, Subsections 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (such as address signs, certain real estate signs, temporary contractor signs, private road/no trespassing signs, and temporary garage sale signs).

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

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