# Sign Regulations in Ambridge Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Ambridge Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/ambridge-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/15269064#15269064)

## At a glance

Ambridge Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 41 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Billboard/Off-premises Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 35 ft tall and 250 sq ft per sign face (max 2 per structure), with a See above (also 3 ft landscaping) setback (Sec. §310-141G). Most commercial signs in Ambridge Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 21 | 35 ft | 250 sq ft per sign face (max 2 per structure) | — |
| Residential Districts (R Residential Districts) | 8 | — | 20 sq ft | — |
| Community Business District (CBD), Midtown District (MID), Gateway South District (GWS) | 9 | 20 ft | 150 sq ft total | — |
| General Commercial District (C), Commercial Districts (all other commercial districts) | 9 | 35 ft | 250 sq ft per sign face (max 2 per structure) | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal Expression Sign | — | 3 sq ft per sign face | — | — | Up to 3 | — | — | §310-139C(4) |
| Address/Occupant Sign | — | 2 sq ft total area | — | — | Up to 2 | Premises | — | §310-139C(5) |
| "Private Drive" Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per driveway | Driveway entrance | — | §310-139C(7) |
| Flag | 30 ft | 35 sq ft (commercial), 40 sq ft (noncommercial message) | — | Not within ROW | — | — | — | §310-139C(9) |
| Incidental or Directional Sign (Noncommercial) | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — | — | Unlimited (if not legible off premises) | Interior lot | — | §310-139C(12) |
| Portable Sign (including Sandwich Board and 3D Figure) | Sandwich board: 3.5 ft; 3D Figure: 6 ft | Sandwich board: 7 sq ft per sign face; 3D Figure: N/A | — | — | 1 (each type) per establishment | Within 3 ft of primary entrance; minimum 36 inches sidewalk clearance if on sidewalk. | — | §310-141I |
| Billboard/Off-premises Sign | 35 ft | 250 sq ft per sign face (max 2 per structure) | — | See above (also 3 ft landscaping) | 1 two-sided billboard per property | "C" General Commercial District only; principal use; not as accessory; not on building/roof; specific spacing/setback rules apply. | — | §310-141G |
| Monument Sign (Institutional/Government/School/Park/Residential Entry) | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | One per entrance/intersection (double face allowed) | At entrance to property or plan | — | §310-141J(1) |

### Community Business District (CBD), Midtown District (MID), Gateway South District (GWS)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Nonresidential Use) | To eaveline or bottom of 2nd-story window sill, whichever is lower | 24 sq ft | Not to exceed building width | — | 1 per street-level tenant (2 if 2 entrances) | Building frontage facing street/parking lot | — | §310-142A(2); §310-141B |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | To eaveline or bottom of 2nd-story window sill, whichever is lower | — | Not wider than building wall/tenant space | — | — | Centered over window/door; see §310-141D | — | §310-142A(3); §310-141D |
| Projecting Sign (Ground-Floor Establishment) | To eaveline or bottom of 2nd-story window sill, whichever is lower | 6 sq ft per sign face | — | See projection restrictions | see above | Per frontage/building entrance serving commercial tenants | — | §310-142A(4); §310-141C |
| Window Sign (Permanent, Nonresidential) | — | 15% of total window area for permanent; up to 25% for permanent + temporary | — | — | — | Windows of storefronts | — | §310-142A(5); §310-139G(4) |
| Marquee Sign | To eaveline | 150 sq ft total | — | — | 1 per building | Marquee | — | §310-142A(6); §310-141F |
| Pole Sign (Freestanding, MID only) | 20 ft | 50 sq ft + 10 sq ft/tenant, max 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per frontage, max 2 | Street frontage (MID only) | — | §310-142A(7); §310-141A(2) |
| Monument Sign (Freestanding, GWS only) | 6 ft | 50 sq ft + 10 sq ft/tenant, max 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per frontage, max 2 | Street frontage (GWS only) | — | §310-142A(7); §310-141A(1) |
| Portable Sign | 3.5 ft (sandwich), 6 ft (figure) | 7 sq ft per face (sandwich board), 3.5 ft max height; 1 sandwich board & 1 3D figure per establishment | — | — | 1 (each type) per establishment | Within 3 ft of primary entrance; 36 in clearance if on sidewalk | — | §310-141I |

### General Commercial District (C), Commercial Districts (all other commercial districts)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Nonresidential Use) | To eaveline | 32 sq ft per sign face | Not to exceed building width | — | 1 per tenant, 2 if dual entrance | Frontage facing street/parking lot | — | §310-142B(2); §310-141B |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | To eaveline | — | Not wider than building wall/tenant space | — | — | Centered over window/door | — | §310-142B(3); §310-141D |
| Projecting Sign | To eaveline | 8 sq ft per sign face | — | See projection rules | see above | Per frontage/building entrance serving tenants | — | §310-142B(4); §310-141C |
| Marquee Sign | To eaveline | 200 sq ft total | — | — | 1 per building | Marquee | — | §310-142B(6); §310-141F |
| Pole Sign (Freestanding) | 20 ft | 50 sq ft + 10 sq ft/tenant, max 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per frontage, max 2 | Street frontage | — | §310-142B(7); §310-141A(2) |
| Monument Sign (Freestanding) | 6 ft | 50 sq ft + 10 sq ft/tenant, max 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per frontage, max 2 | Street frontage | — | §310-142B(7); §310-141A(1) |
| Billboard/Off-premises Sign | 35 ft | 250 sq ft per sign face (max 2 per structure) | — | Multiple, see details | 1 (two-sided) per property | Principal use only, not on building, roof, or public ROW; see full spacing and setback requirements | — | §310-141G; §310-142B(1) |
| Portable Sign | 3.5 ft (sandwich), 6 ft (figure) | 7 sq ft per face (sandwich board); 3.5 ft max height; 1 sandwich board & 1 3D figure per establishment | — | — | 1 (each type) per establishment | Within 3 ft of primary entrance; 36 in clearance on sidewalk | — | §310-141I |

## Prohibited signs in Ambridge Borough

- All signs are prohibited from the area within the right-of-way lines of all public streets, sidewalks, boulevards, highways, avenues, alleys, roads or other public ways, and other Borough-owned property, including parks and buildings, unless approval has been issued and is valid in accordance with the provisions elsewhere in this Code.
- Signs attached to public utility poles or trees within the street right-of-way line are prohibited.
- Signs on public lots or public right-of-way or within a sight triangle are prohibited unless erected or required by a governmental body or required to be so located by order of a governmental body.
- Signs painted on, attached to, or supported by a tree, stone, hillside, or other natural objects are prohibited.
- Signs affixed or attached to trees, poles, stakes, fences, public benches, streetlights, or other objects, or placed on any public property or in the public right-of-way, or on private property without the property owner's permission are prohibited.
- Signs pasted, stapled, or otherwise attached to public utility poles or trees within the street right-of-way line are prohibited.
- Signs displayed on vehicles parked and visible from a public right-of-way are prohibited unless the vehicle is used for the normal day-to-day operation of a business on the premises.
- Any sign that endangers pedestrians, bicyclists, or traffic by obscuring the view or interfering with official street signs or signals is prohibited.
- Any sign that interferes with surface or underground utility or communications lines or equipment is prohibited.
- Any abandoned signs are prohibited.
- Animated signs, flashing signs, or signs that scroll or flash text or graphics (except indoor electronic ticker displays up to five inches high) are prohibited.
- Banners or signs of any type suspended across a public street, without the permission of the owner of the property and the street, are prohibited.
- Signs that promote illegal activity are prohibited.
- Signs that resemble, interfere with, or obstruct official traffic lights, signs, or signals are prohibited.
- Balloon signs (see definition for exceptions) are prohibited.
- Interactive signs are prohibited.
- Mechanical movement signs, such as revolving signs, are prohibited.
- Reflective signs or signs containing mirrors are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs erected without the property owner's permission (with exception for government authorized/required signs) are prohibited.
- Signs using beacon or festoon lighting are prohibited.
- Signs that emit sound, smoke, vapors, particulate matter, or odor, or contain open flames are prohibited.
- Signs containing statements, words, or images of obscene or pornographic subjects, as determined by the Borough, are prohibited.
- Signs that prevent free ingress or egress from any door, window, or fire escape, or that prevent free access from one part of a roof to any other part, are prohibited. No sign other than a safety sign shall be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
- Construction or erection of any such signs within the street lines of public highways is prohibited unless specifically authorized by other ordinances or regulations.
- Temporary signs on wheels or with changeable letters are not permitted.
- Portable signs may not be illuminated.
- Internally illuminated plastic signs with dark-colored detachable letters are prohibited in all districts.

## Signs exempt from permit in Ambridge Borough

- Signs erected or required by government agencies or utilities, such as traffic, utility and safety signs.
- Indoor signs not attached to a window or door that are not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the parcel on which the sign is located.
- Holiday and seasonal decorations that do not contain a commercial message.
- Up to three personal expression signs of any type at any given time per business or residence, provided that they do not exceed three square feet in area per side, are noncommercial in nature, and are not illuminated.
- Up to two signs of no more than two square feet in total area stating address, number and/or name of the occupants of the premises, provided that they do not include any commercial advertising or other identification.
- Signs or emblems of a religious, civil, philanthropic, historical or educational organization that do not exceed four square feet in area.
- One 'private drive' sign per driveway entrance, not to exceed two square feet in area.
- Conventional 'no trespassing' and similar security and warning signs posted in accordance with state law, provided that no posted security or warning signs may exceed two square feet in area.
- Flags with a maximum height of 30 feet, provided that flags and flagpoles shall not be located within any right-of-way. The maximum flag size is 35 square feet in commercial districts.
- Flags up to 40 square feet in area containing noncommercial messages are considered personal expression signs and are regulated as specified above.
- Legal notices.
- Signs that are a permanent architectural feature of a building or structure existing at the time of adoption of this article.
- Incidental and directional signs that convey instructions with respect to the use of a premises (e.g., business hours, reserved parking spaces) provided that they contain no commercial messaging, are no more than four square feet each, have a maximum height of three feet, are nonilluminated, and that such signage within a lot is not legible from the adjacent public right-of-way or lot line.
- Art and murals, provided that such signs do not contain any commercial messaging.
- Auxiliary advertising signs that are vital to the operation of a business, such as credit card or trade association signs, not to exceed a combined total area of four square feet.
- Temporary signs in accordance with §310-141H.
- Indoor electronic ticker displays with a maximum height of five inches and a maximum total length of four feet.
- A canopy or awning without lettering or other advertising shall not be regulated as a sign.
- Incidental window signs less than two square feet in area, such as the business's hours of operation and credit cards accepted, are excluded from window sign area calculations.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required in order to erect, install, relocate, modify or change any sign within the Commercial Districts unless otherwise indicated in the ordinance.
- To obtain a sign permit, applicants must submit a permit application including scaled drawings, sign locations, elevations, and lighting details.
- All proposed developments shall be required to submit a sign package to the Borough's Planning Commission for approval prior to any sign permits being issued to businesses within the development. The sign package shall include a detailed description of the type, size and location of all signs for each unit within the complex/center, as well as any pole or monument sign. This applies to new construction after the effective date of the article.
- All freestanding signs shall be submitted to the Planning Commission for review at the time of site plan approval in all commercial districts.
- Sign permits have associated fees as established by the Borough Council.
- No sign permit shall be valid for more than six months from the date of issuance unless the sign is in place by the expiration date.
- Permits are required for monument signs to identify institutional, governmental, school, park or residential developments at the entrance to the property or plan.
- A sign permit application must be submitted for off-premises signs (billboards) in accordance with the general sign regulations and additional billboard-specific requirements.
- Every 10 years, the owner of a billboard must have a structural inspection made by a qualified Pennsylvania registered engineer and provide a certificate to the Borough.
- Annual inspections of billboards are conducted by the Borough for compliance.
- The issuance of a permit for a billboard is conditioned upon approval of a permit by PennDOT within 30 days of Borough issuance.
- If any sign is not repaired or maintained as required, the Borough may remove the sign after proper notification.
- Sheds and enclosed areas for trash, service, and storage, and signs, as accessory uses, must be compatible with the architecture of the district and approved by the Review Board and Borough Council, and a certificate of appropriateness issued as provided.
- Failure to conform to the conditions of a sign permit, including any attached conditions/stipulations, shall render such permit void.

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

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