# Sign Regulations in Altoona, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Altoona, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/altoona
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-20
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/15960442#15960442)

## At a glance

Altoona, Pennsylvania regulates 16 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding (Residential)s in the R-S, R-SH, R-L, R-MH, R-MU zoning district are capped at 7 ft tall and 10 sq ft (R-S, R-SH), 20 sq ft (R-L, R-MH), 20 sq ft (R-MU), with a 2 ft setback (Sec. §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C; §800-63, Table E).

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-S, R-SH, R-L, R-MH, R-MU | 6 | 7 ft | 60 sq ft | — |
| R-U | 7 | 7 ft | 60 sq ft | — |
| M-RC | 7 | 15 ft | 60 sq ft | — |
| C-NB, C-HB, C-CB | 8 | 35 ft (C-HB), 15 ft (C-NB, C-CB) | 200 sq ft | — |
| I-L, I-G | 7 | 35 ft | 200 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | — | 60 sq ft in residential zones; not specified elsewhere. | — |

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

### R-S, R-SH, R-L, R-MH, R-MU

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding (Residential) | 7 ft | 10 sq ft (R-S, R-SH), 20 sq ft (R-L, R-MH), 20 sq ft (R-MU) | — | 2 ft | 1 per 10 linear feet of street frontage | On the same lot as the use. | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C; §800-63, Table E |
| Freestanding (Temporary) | 7 ft | 10 sq ft (R-S, R-SH), 20 sq ft (R-L, R-MH, R-MU) | — | 2 ft | 1 per 10 linear feet of street frontage | On the same lot as the use. | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C; §800-63, Table E |
| Building Marker | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building | Affixed to building. | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table D |
| Building Identification Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per building | Affixed to building. | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table D |
| Building (Temporary) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | Affixed to building. | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C |
| Flag | — | 60 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table D |

### R-U

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding (Business) | 7 ft | 20 sq ft | — | 2 ft | 1 per 10 linear feet of street frontage | — | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C; §800-63, Table E |
| Freestanding (Residential) | 7 ft | 20 sq ft | — | 2 ft | 1 per 10 linear feet of street frontage | — | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C; §800-63, Table E |
| Freestanding (Temporary) | 7 ft | 20 sq ft | — | 2 ft | 1 per 10 linear feet of street frontage | — | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C; §800-63, Table E |
| Building Marker | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building | Affixed to building. | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table D |
| Building Identification Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per building | Affixed to building. | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table D |
| Building (Temporary) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | Affixed to building. | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C |
| Flag | — | 60 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table D |

### C-NB, C-HB, C-CB

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding (Off-premises Advertising) | 35 ft (C-HB), 15 ft (C-NB, C-CB) | 200 sq ft | — | 3 ft | As per frontage: 1 per 15 ft (C-NB, C-CB), 1 per 20 ft (C-HB) | — | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C/D; §800-62B/C |
| Freestanding (Business) | 15 ft (C-NB, C-CB), 35 ft (C-HB) | 100 sq ft (C-NB, C-CB), 200 sq ft (C-HB) | — | 3 ft | As per frontage: 1 per 15 ft (C-NB, C-CB), 1 per 20 ft (C-HB) | — | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C; §800-63, Table E |
| Building Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Affixed to wall. | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C; §800-63, Table E |
| Building Window Sign | — | 25% of window area | — | — | — | Affixed to window. | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table D; §800-63, Table E |
| Freestanding (Plaza) | 15 ft (C-NB, C-CB), 35 ft (C-HB) | 100 sq ft (C-NB), 200 sq ft (C-HB), 100 sq ft (C-CB) | — | 3 ft | — | Plaza or similar development | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table C/D |
| Freestanding (Incidental) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-63, Table E |
| Building Marker | — | 4 sq ft per building | — | — | 1 per building | Affixed to building | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table D |
| Flag | — | No max listed (noted for residential zones) | — | — | — | — | — | §800-60, Table A; §800-62, Table D |

## Prohibited signs in Altoona

- It is unlawful to post, tack, paste or hang any political signs and/or posters or any other form of advertising on City-owned property and/or rights-of-way in the City of Altoona.
- All signs that are not expressly permitted under this chapter or exempted from its regulations by § 800-66 are prohibited.
- Prohibited signs include, but are not limited to, beacons, pennants, strings of lights that are not permanently mounted to a rigid background, inflatable signs, tethered balloons, and sexually suggestive signs.
- No off-premises advertising sign or structure shall be erected within 300 feet of any church or school.
- No off-premises advertising sign shall be erected within 1,000 feet of any other off-premises advertising sign on the same side of the street.
- No off-premises advertising sign shall be located within 300 feet of another off-premises advertising sign.
- No off-premises advertising shall be permitted on the roof of any structure.
- No additional off-premises advertising signs shall be permitted within the City limits unless another off-premises advertising sign is removed within the City limits.
- No sign shall exceed any applicable maximum numbers or dimensions shown on Sign Table D or encroach on any applicable minimum clearances.
- No sign shall be located closer than 10 feet to an intersection between public and/or private roads and/or driveways unless that sign allows a clear view between the intersecting roads and/or driveways at all heights between three and 10 feet.
- A nonconforming sign shall not be enlarged or relocated within the City.
- A nonconforming sign shall not be altered except to make safety improvements, maintain as required, or to bring into conformance.
- If a conforming or nonconforming use has been discontinued for a total of 12 months, all related signs and supporting structures shall be considered 'abandoned signs' and must be removed at the owner's expense.
- No person shall possess, destroy, remove, deface, obliterate or cover up any lamp, sign or barricade erected as a warning of danger by City authorities or persons with City permission on City infrastructure or public ground.

## Signs exempt from permit in Altoona

- Any temporary public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance.
- Any sign inside a building that is not attached to a window or door and not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line.
- Works of art.
- Signs on the scoreboard or outfield fence of an athletic field.
- Holiday lights and decorations.
- Traffic control signs on private property that meet Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards.
- Project identification signs for the duration of permitted work if they do not exceed four feet by eight feet, are secured so as not to be a hazard, and are limited to one per project.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Signs are allowed with or without zoning permits as specified in Sign Table A; a permit may be required for some sign types and zones.
- Voluntary replacement of a sign is treated as erecting a new sign, thus subject to the same permitting requirements.
- Some sign characteristics (e.g., electronic screen signs) are only allowed as a special exception in certain zones, subject to Zoning Hearing Board review.
- Certificate of nonconformity may be obtained for nonconforming signs.
- Permitting requirements for zoning permits for signs are in addition to all other applicable permits and requirements.
- No explicit mention of a 'master sign plan' or required variance meeting appears in the provided ordinance 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 6 zoning districts in Altoona — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Altoona+PA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-altoona

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