# Sign Regulations in Athens Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Athens Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/athens-township
- **Data last verified:** 2026-01-07
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://www.athenstownship.org/FINAL%20Formatted%20Ordinance_220114.pdf#page=143)

## At a glance

Athens Township, Pennsylvania regulates 36 sign types across 8 zoning districts. General Sign - Name Plate (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall)s in the Residential-Rural District (R-R), Residential-Suburban District (R-S) zoning district are capped at 10 ft (free-standing signs in R-R and R-S) tall and 200 square inches, with a 10 ft from street right-of-way setback (Sec. Section 702.A(1); Section 702.D; Section 701.A; Section 702.E). Most commercial signs in Athens Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | Not above fence height or 6 ft, whichever is less | 32 sq ft | — |
| Residential-Rural District (R-R), Residential-Suburban District (R-S) | 10 | 10 ft (free-standing signs in R-R and R-S) | 200 square inches | — |
| Residential-Urban District (R-U), Rural Center District (RC) | 3 | 15 ft; minimum clearance 10 ft when in parking/vehicular/pedestrian circulation area unless resting on the ground | Per Section 702.A and 702.B: Name plates 200 sq in; Posting 2 sq ft; Sale/Rental 6 sq ft; Artisan 12 sq ft; Home Occupation 8 sq ft; Farm/Nursery 8 sq ft; Directional to nonprofits 12 sq ft; Institutional 50 sq ft; Residential Development 50 sq ft (no commercial advertising) | — |
| Commercial District (C), Industrial District (I) | 14 | 30 inches above average grade | 750 sq ft (total per business/industry) | — |
| Interchange Commercial District (IC) | 13 | 60 ft (free-standing sign boards in IC) | 750 sq ft (total per business) | — |
| Public/Semi-Public District (P), Agricultural District (A), Woodland/Conservation District (W/C) | 3 | 20 ft; minimum 10 ft clearance when in parking/vehicular/pedestrian circulation area unless resting on the ground | Per Section 702.A and 702.B | — |
| General Floodplain District (FP) (Overlying District) | 2 | Free-standing general/specific non-commercial signs: 10 ft | Per Section 702.A and 702.B | — |
| Floodway District (FW) (Overlying District) | 1 | — | 2 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### Residential-Rural District (R-R), Residential-Suburban District (R-S)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Sign - Name Plate (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 10 ft (free-standing signs in R-R and R-S) | 200 square inches | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | 1 per property (corner lots: 1 per frontage) | Permitted anywhere in front yard; minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way line | — | Section 702.A(1); Section 702.D; Section 701.A; Section 702.E |
| General Sign - Property Posting (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 10 ft (free-standing signs in R-R and R-S) | 2 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | No explicit limit for property posting signs | Permitted anywhere in front yard; minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way line | — | Section 702.A(2); Section 702.D; Section 701.A; Section 702.E |
| General Sign - Property Sale/Rental (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 10 ft (free-standing signs in R-R and R-S) | 6 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | 1 per property (corner lots: 1 per frontage) | Permitted anywhere in front yard; minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way line | — | Section 702.A(3); Section 702.D; Section 701.A; Section 702.E |
| General Sign - Artisan Working On Premises (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 10 ft (free-standing signs in R-R and R-S) | 12 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | 1 per property (corner lots: 1 per frontage) | Permitted anywhere in front yard; minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way line | — | Section 702.A(4); Section 702.D; Section 701.A; Section 702.E |
| Specific Non-Commercial - Home Occupation Sign (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 10 ft (free-standing signs in R-R and R-S) | 8 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | 1 per property (corner lots: 1 per frontage) | Permitted anywhere in front yard; minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way line | — | Section 702.B(1); Section 702.D; Section 702.E |
| Specific Non-Commercial - Roadside/Farm/Nursery Product Sign (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 10 ft (free-standing signs in R-R and R-S) | 8 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | 1 per property (corner lots: 1 per frontage) | Permitted anywhere in front yard; minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way line | — | Section 702.B(2); Section 702.D; Section 702.E |
| Specific Non-Commercial - Direction to Service Clubs/Churches/Nonprofits (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 10 ft (free-standing signs in R-R and R-S) | 12 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | 1 per property (corner lots: 1 per frontage) | Permitted anywhere in front yard; minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way line | — | Section 702.B(3); Section 702.D; Section 702.E |
| Specific Non-Commercial - Institutional Uses (Schools, Churches, Governments, Cultural) (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 10 ft (free-standing signs in R-R and R-S) | 50 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | 1 per property (corner lots: 1 per frontage) | Permitted anywhere in front yard; minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way line | — | Section 702.B(4); Section 702.D; Section 702.E |

### Commercial District (C), Industrial District (I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General and Specific Non-Commercial Signs (as permitted in R-R/R-S) | Free-standing general/specific non-commercial signs: 10 ft | Per Section 702.A and 702.B | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way (general/specific noncommercial); 25 ft from ROW for free-standing signs generally | Per 702.A/B; property posting signs may be multiple | Minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way | — | Section 704.B; Section 701.E(1); Section 704.H(1) |
| Business Identification - Free-Standing Sign | 20 ft; minimum 10 ft clearance when in parking/vehicular/pedestrian circulation area unless resting on the ground | <100k GFA: 75 sq ft; ≥100k GFA: 100 sq ft | — | 25 ft from street right-of-way (free-standing signs) | 1 per lot | Within required front yard; minimum 25 ft setback from edge of any adjoining street right-of-way (or as otherwise required by State/Federal highway regulations) | — | Section 704.C(1)(a); Section 704.C(1)(c); Section 704.I(2); Section 704.H(3); Section 701.E(3); Section 701.M |
| Directional Sign (Free-Standing, On-Site Circulation) | 30 inches above average grade | 2 sq ft | — | — | Max 4 per facility | On-site to direct patrons/clients/users into, around, and out of a business or industry | — | Section 704.C(1)(b)(1)-(3) |
| Business Identification - Parallel Wall Sign | May not extend above top of wall; parallel wall signs may not project more than 12 inches | Single wall sign: If <100k GFA → 150 sq ft; If ≥100k GFA → 300 sq ft | — | — | Not explicitly limited; subject to total area limits | Attached to principal building per 701.H | — | Section 704.C(2)(a)-(b); Section 701.E(2); Section 701.H |
| Canopy Sign (Business Identification) | Free-standing canopy signs: ≤25 ft height; clearance ≥15 ft when in parking/vehicular/pedestrian circulation area | Up to 25% of canopy face area | — | Canopy setbacks per district regulations | — | Affixed/applied to attached or free-standing canopy; canopy set back per district regulations | — | Section 704.C(2)(d); Section 704.H(2); Section 704.I(4); Section 701.H |
| Roof Sign (Business Identification) | May extend no more than 5 ft above highest point of roof | Up to 150 sq ft (per formula) | — | — | 1 per establishment or shopping complex | Mounted on/attached to roof of a building; only business identification signs allowed as roof signs | — | Section 704.C(3)(a)-(b); Section 701.E(4) |
| Outdoor Business Franchise Sign (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 25 ft maximum (per Table 1) | — | — | 25 ft from ROW (free-standing) | 1 per franchise | Free-standing signs within front yard must be set back 25 ft from ROW | — | Section 704.E(1)-(2); Section 704.H(6); Table 1 (Outdoor Business Franchise Signs) |
| Billboard or Advertising Sign Board (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 25 ft (free-standing sign boards in C & I) | 250 sq ft | — | 25 ft from street right-of-way; spacing 1,000 ft from any other billboard/ad board (same side of street) | 1 per lot | Within required front yard; minimum 25 ft setback from edge of any adjoining street right-of-way (or as otherwise required by State/Federal highway regulations); must be 1,000 ft from any other such sign measured on the same side of the street | — | Section 704.G(1)-(5); Section 704.H(7); Section 701.F; Section 701.M |

### Interchange Commercial District (IC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General and Specific Non-Commercial Signs (as permitted in R-R/R-S) | Free-standing general/specific non-commercial signs: 10 ft | Per Section 702.A and 702.B | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way (general/specific noncommercial) | Per 702.A/B; property posting signs may be multiple | Minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way | — | Section 704.B; Section 704.H(1) |
| Business Identification - Free-Standing Sign | 40 ft above average grade; minimum 10 ft clearance when in parking/vehicular/pedestrian circulation area unless resting on the ground | 350 sq ft | — | 25 ft from street right-of-way | 1 per lot | Within required front yard; minimum 25 ft setback from edge of any adjoining street right-of-way (or as otherwise required by State/Federal highway regulations) | — | Section 704.C(1)(a)-(c); Section 704.I(2); Section 704.H(3); Section 701.E(3); Section 701.M |
| Directional Sign (Free-Standing, On-Site Circulation) | 30 inches above average grade | 2 sq ft | — | — | Max 4 per facility | On-site to direct patrons/clients/users into, around, and out of a business or industry | — | Section 704.C(1)(b)(1)-(3) |
| Business Identification - Parallel Wall Sign | May not extend above top of wall; parallel wall signs may not project more than 12 inches | Single wall sign: If <100k GFA → 150 sq ft; If ≥100k GFA → 300 sq ft | — | — | Not explicitly limited; subject to total area limits | Attached to principal building per 701.H | — | Section 704.C(2)(a)-(b); Section 701.E(2); Section 701.H |
| Awning Sign (Business Identification) | Clearance ≥10 ft when projecting over sidewalk/pedestrian area | Up to 25% of awning background area | — | — | — | Affixed/applied to awning surfaces per 701.H | — | Section 704.C(2)(c); Section 701.H |
| Canopy Sign (Business Identification) | Free-standing canopy signs: ≤25 ft height; clearance ≥15 ft when in parking/vehicular/pedestrian circulation area | Up to 25% of canopy face area | — | Canopy setbacks per district regulations | — | Affixed/applied to attached or free-standing canopy; canopy set back per district regulations | — | Section 704.C(2)(d); Section 704.H(2); Section 704.I(4); Section 701.H |
| Outdoor Business Franchise Sign (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 25 ft maximum (per Table 1) | — | — | 25 ft from ROW (free-standing) | 1 per franchise | Free-standing signs within front yard must be set back 25 ft from ROW | — | Section 704.E(1)-(2); Section 704.H(6); Table 1 (Outdoor Business Franchise Signs) |
| Billboard or Advertising Sign Board (Free-Standing or Parallel Wall) | 60 ft (free-standing sign boards in IC) | 500 sq ft | — | 25 ft from street right-of-way; spacing 1,000 ft from any other billboard/ad board (same side of street) | 1 per lot | Within required front yard; minimum 25 ft setback from edge of any adjoining street right-of-way (or as otherwise required by State/Federal highway regulations); must be 1,000 ft from any other such sign measured on the same side of the street | — | Section 704.G(1)-(6); Section 704.H(7); Section 701.F; Section 701.M |

## Prohibited signs in Athens Township

- No free-standing sign may be located within any public right-of-way, except traffic signs or signs required for municipal services (701.C).
- No sign may be painted, erected, affixed, or maintained on a tree, stone (except ornamental/architectural stones used to identify a business or property, and property posting signs), or other natural object; and no sign may be placed on an accessory storage trailer or other container vehicle (701.C).
- No sign may be located on a sidewalk or walkway so as to obstruct or restrict pedestrian passage (including temporary signs) (701.C, 701.O.1).
- No person may artificially increase sign height by altering the grade at the base of the sign (701.E.1).
- Wall signs (parallel or projecting) may not extend above the top of the wall to which they are attached (701.E.2).
- Free-standing business identification signs located in parking, vehicular, or pedestrian circulation areas must maintain at least 10 feet of clearance to the lowest part of the sign unless resting on the ground; free-standing billboards/advertising sign boards and canopy signs must maintain at least 15 feet of clearance in such areas (701.E.3).
- Roof signs may extend no more than five feet above the highest point of the roof to which they are attached (701.E.4).
- Illuminated signs may not cause glare or impair motorists’ vision; illumination must be steady (not flashing, moving, scrolling, or changing in brilliance, color, or intensity), except as specifically allowed for image-changing sign boards in the Interchange Commercial District or digital message boards regulated elsewhere (701.F).
- Externally illuminated business identification signs must use shielded, top-down lighting; internally illuminated business identification signs must use non-glaring/low-voltage lighting; external illumination of billboards/advertising sign boards is prohibited (701.F).
- No sign may be erected within the clear sight triangle of any street or driveway intersection; no sign in the direct line of vision of a traffic control signal may use red, green, or amber illumination; no sign may cause a visual obstruction for nearby property owners (701.G).
- Parallel wall signs may not project more than 12 inches; no projecting wall sign, awning sign, or canopy-attached sign may have less than 10 feet of clearance over a sidewalk or pedestrian area; no sign may be affixed to a building eave (701.H).
- All free-standing signs must be anchored/weighted/spring-loaded to minimize wind action; unanchored free-standing signs are not permitted (701.I).
- No sign may block ingress or egress from any door, window, or fire escape; no sign may be attached to a standpipe or fire escape (701.J).
- Signs must be constructed of durable materials, adequately maintained to remain legible and safe, and removed when the circumstances leading to their erection no longer apply (701.K).
- No sign may be displayed on property not owned by the applicant without the property owner’s written consent or lease (701.L).
- Nonconforming signs, once removed, may only be replaced with conforming signs (701.N).

## Signs exempt from permit in Athens Township

- Temporary signs that comply with Sections 701.O (temporary portable), 701.P (political), 701.Q (temporary event), and 701.R (garage/yard sale) are exempt from the Zoning Permit requirement (701.A).
- Temporary portable signs that are moved daily are considered temporary and are not subject to the 30-day time limitation, provided they do not obstruct pedestrian passage (701.O.1).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A Zoning Permit is required for the erection or alteration of all signs, except temporary signs that comply with Sections 701.O–R (701.A).
- Fees for sign Zoning Permits are required per the Township’s fee schedule (701.B).
- For signs adjacent to PennDOT Primary/Interstate highways, compliance with the Pennsylvania Outdoor Advertising Act is required; a PennDOT determination and any required State Permit must be provided before the Township issues a Zoning Permit (701.M).
- Billboards/advertising sign boards require Conditional Use approval from the Township Board of Supervisors (704.G.5).
- Image-changing sign boards are permitted only in the Interchange Commercial District and require Conditional Use approval (704.G.6; see also 701.F).
- No master sign plan requirement is specified in the provided text.
- If a proposed sign cannot meet applicable dimensional or placement standards, a variance from the Zoning Hearing Board would be required under the general variance procedure referenced in the Ordinance (Section 1001.C as cited in Article 3).

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

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