# Sign Regulations in Caernarvon Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Caernarvon Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/caernarvon-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-21
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/40036232#40036232)

## At a glance

Caernarvon Township, Pennsylvania regulates 20 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Commercial districts, Commercial zoning districts zoning district are capped at 25 feet above adjacent road/street elevation tall and 100 sq ft, with a At least 10 ft from the street right-of-way, not within 25 ft of any residential district. setback (Sec. §500-35E(2),(3), §500-35B(9)). Most commercial signs in Caernarvon Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | — | — | — |
| C-1 District | 1 | 10 feet | — | — |
| Commercial districts, Commercial zoning districts | 9 | 25 feet above adjacent road/street elevation | 300 sq ft | — |
| Industrial districts, Industrial zoning districts | 7 | 25 feet above adjacent road/street elevation | 300 sq ft | — |
| Residential districts, Residential zoning district, Agricultural district | 9 | — | 12 sq ft (per side) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### Commercial districts, Commercial zoning districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | On same lot/as to use to which they relate. | — | §500-35E(2) |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 feet above adjacent road/street elevation | 100 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from the street right-of-way, not within 25 ft of any residential district. | No more than 2 per lot | Same lot as use. | — | §500-35E(2),(3), §500-35B(9) |
| Freestanding Sign - Off-Premise Advertising (≤32 sq ft) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §500-35E(4) |
| Freestanding Sign - Off-Premise Advertising (32–300 sq ft) | — | 300 sq ft | — | Min 300 ft from residential; 500 ft from intersection; 300/600 ft from other signs. | — | Only along specified roads: Interstate 176, Interstate 76, PA Route 10 (Mineview Dr to Elverson Rd), and Main St (0023) from I-76 to Elverson Borough boundary. | — | §500-35E(5) |
| Directional Sign | — | 15 sq ft (one side) | — | — | No more than 1 per street frontage | On property, at street frontage. | — | §500-35E(6) |
| Wall Sign - Multi-Tenant/Use Building | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per use | Portion of building occupied by the tenant/use. | — | §500-35E(9) |
| Wall Sign - Building/Development Identifier (Turnpike Frontage) | — | 200 sq ft (on side facing PA Turnpike) | — | Within 60 ft of Turnpike right-of-way | 1 per 2,000 linear feet Turnpike frontage | Facing PA Turnpike, within 60 feet of right-of-way. | — | §500-35E(9) |
| Wall Sign - Building/Development Identifier (other) | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building or development | On building. | — | §500-35E(9) |

### Industrial districts, Industrial zoning districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | On same lot as the use. | — | §500-35E(2) |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 feet above adjacent road/street elevation | 100 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from street right-of-way, not within 25 ft of residential district. | No more than 2 per lot | Same lot as the use. | — | §500-35E(2),(3);§500-35B(9) |
| Freestanding Sign - Off-Premise Advertising (≤32 sq ft) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §500-35E(4) |
| Freestanding Sign - Off-Premise Advertising (32–300 sq ft) | — | 300 sq ft | — | Min 300 ft from residential; 500 ft from intersection; 300/600 ft from other signs. | — | Only along Interstate 176, Interstate 76, PA Route 10 (Mineview Dr to Elverson Rd), and Main St (0023) from I-76 east to Elverson Borough. | — | §500-35E(5) |
| Wall Sign - Multi-Tenant/Use Building | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per use | Portion of building occupied by the use. | — | §500-35E(9) |
| Wall Sign - Building/Development Identifier (Turnpike Frontage) | — | 200 sq ft (on side facing PA Turnpike) | — | Within 60 ft of Turnpike right-of-way | 1 per 2,000 linear feet Turnpike frontage | Facing PA Turnpike, within 60 feet of right-of-way. | — | §500-35E(9) |
| Wall Sign - Building/Development Identifier (other) | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building or development | On building. | — | §500-35E(9) |

### Residential districts, Residential zoning district, Agricultural district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification/Bulletin/Announcement Sign (School, Hospital, Institution, Club, Farm, Estate, Development) | — | 12 sq ft (per side) | — | Not less than 10 ft to street right-of-way | No more than 2 per frontage per property | On property; not closer than 10 ft to street right-of-way. | — | §500-35D(1) |
| Professional/Home Occupation/Name Sign | — | 4 sq ft (per side) | — | Not within 10 ft of street right-of-way | 1 per permitted use/dwelling | On property; not within 10 ft of street right-of-way; must be on property with permitted use. | — | §500-35D(2), §500-35C(3) |
| Nonconforming Use Sign | — | 12 sq ft (per side) | — | — | No more than 2 per street frontage | On premises of nonconforming use. | — | §500-35D(3) |
| Public Utility Facility Identification | — | 4 sq ft (per side) | — | — | — | On property. | — | §500-35D(4) |
| Farm Products/Nursery/Livestock Sales | — | 12 sq ft (per side) | — | Not less than 10 ft to street right-of-way | No more than 1 per street frontage | On property; not closer than 10 ft to street right-of-way. | — | §500-35D(5) |
| Agricultural Association/Cooperative Specialization Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | No more than 1 per street frontage | On property. | — | §500-35D(6) |
| Permanent Multi-Family Complex Identifier (Entrance) | — | 10 sq ft (per sign) | — | — | 1 per entrance | At entrance to complex. | — | §500-35D(7) |
| Permanent Multi-Family Building Identifier | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On individual multi-family building. | — | §500-35D(7) |

## Prohibited signs in Caernarvon Township

- No sign shall be erected containing information on it which states or implies that a property may be used for any purpose not permitted under zoning regulations.
- Signs must have lighting shielded so no direct light shines on abutting properties or in the normal line of vision of people using streets or sidewalks. No red, amber, or green lights are permitted for sign illumination; flood or spotlights may not be mounted higher than 15 feet above ground.
- No sign, other than official traffic signs, shall be erected within the right-of-way lines of any street.
- Signs shall not be allowed to become dilapidated; such signs must be removed at the owner's or lessee's expense.
- No sign shall be erected or located as to prevent free ingress or egress from any window, door, or fire escape.
- Wall signs shall not extend beyond the edge of the facade or surface to which they are mounted.
- Projecting signs shall not extend more than four feet from the wall/surface they are mounted to, must not interfere with normal pedestrian or vehicular traffic, and cannot be closer than six feet to the property line.
- Freestanding signs must meet setback requirements and may not project beyond street right-of-way lines or be within certain distances of residential districts as detailed.
- No signs shall be posted, stapled, or otherwise attached to public utility poles or trees within a street right-of-way.
- Electronic signs may not contain flashing, blinking, scrolling or moving lights, text or graphics, or full-motion video. Display must remain static for at least 10 seconds; not allowed to dissolve, flash, animate, or have visual bursts.
- Signs prohibited in all districts: obsolete or non-compliant structures, out-of-date political billboards, signs for defunct businesses, signs without permits, illegal signs (under state law), signs not securely fixed, signs that attempt to regulate/warn/direct traffic or resemble official signs, signs that block doors/windows/fire escapes/standpipes, signs advertising discontinued uses/products, banners/spinners/flags/pennants/moving objects used for advertising (except as specifically allowed), flashing/blinking/twinkling/animated/moving signs (except time/temperature), mobile/wheel-mounted/trailer signs not affixed to ground, and signs creating traffic hazards.

## Signs exempt from permit in Caernarvon Township

- Flags of any governmental unit or charitable/religious organization.
- Directional flags or signs posted by religious organizations, schools, or hospitals.
- Interior signs not visible from public rights-of-way or adjoining property.
- Cornerstones built into or attached to a wall commemorating a person or event.
- Official notices of any court or public office.
- Legal notices posted pursuant to law.
- Public service company signs as aids to safety or service.
- The following signs are exempt from sign permit requirements: official highway route number signs, street name signs, directional signs, traffic signs or other government signs; signs controlling or prohibiting fishing/hunting/trespassing, or indicating a private road or driveway (≤4 sq. ft.); property/lot/address signs for residences (≤3 inch characters, ≤2 sq. ft.); sale/rental signs (≤6 sq. ft., one per frontage, removed after sale/lease); temporary civic/philanthropic/educational/religious event signs (≤32 sq. ft., posted ≤14 days before, removed ≤7 days after event); political signs (≤9 sq. ft., removed ≤7 days after election); temporary artisan/craftsmen/builders/contractors signs (≤12 sq. ft., on premises, removed ≤7 days after work ends); store window pane signs for hours/credit (≤2 sq. ft. total); temporary sales product signs (≤12 sq. ft., posted ≤30 days, removed ≤7 days after sales); temporary yard/garage sale signs (≤2 per event, ≤4 sq. ft. each, posted ≤7 days, removed ≤24 hours after close); plant hybrid/strain signs (≤2 sq. ft., one per strain per frontage).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs must comply with the provisions of Section 500-35 and other township regulations before being erected, altered, maintained, used, removed, or moved.
- A sign permit must be obtained prior to erection or replacement of any sign except those specifically exempted in Section 500-35(C).
- Applications for sign permits must include a detailed scale drawing, statement of construction and installation methods/materials, signatures (owner/applicant), and statement that erection will be per submitted plans.
- If the sign is freestanding, a map of the lot and scaled diagram or photo of a similar sign is also required for the permit application.
- Permanent signs require a certificate of use and occupancy.
- No specific mention is made of a master sign plan, sign plan, or variance meeting required for signage in general. Variances or special exceptions are only referenced in the context of off-premises signs exceeding specified size thresholds or in designated corridors (not as a standard requirement for all signage).

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

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