# Sign Regulations in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/canonsburg
- **Data last verified:** 2026-04-27
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://ecode360.com/13838546)

## At a glance

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania regulates 36 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the Central Business District (CBD) zoning district are capped at 5 feet tall and 30 square feet, with a Minimum of five feet from back of curb or edge of pavement setback (Sec. § 170-911C(1)(h)). Most commercial signs in Canonsburg 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 | 2 | — | 20 square feet; banner signs 40 square feet | — |
| Conservation District (C) | 1 | 5 feet | 30 square feet | — |
| Residential Districts (R-1, R-2, R-3) | 16 | 5 feet | 40 square feet | — |
| Mixed Use District (MU) | 10 | 5 feet | 50 square feet | — |
| Central Business District (CBD) | 20 | 25 feet from curb level to top of sign | 50 square feet | — |
| General Commercial District (C-1) | 22 | 30 feet | 50 square feet | — |
| Flex Office/Industrial (OI) | 19 | 95 feet above the grade | 300 square feet on each of two sides | — |
| Industrial (I-1) | 15 | 30 feet | 50 square feet | — |

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

### Central Business District (CBD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Marquee Sign | — | 10% of the area of the building wall up to 100 square feet | — | — | 1 | Attached to, in any manner, or supported by a permanent roof-like shelter extending from part or all of a building face | — | § 170-911B(2) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 | Securely fastened by metal supports to the building surface | — | § 170-911B(3) |
| Suspended Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 | Suspended from the underside of a horizontal plane surface | — | § 170-911B(5) |
| Wall Sign | — | 50 square feet | — | — | 1 | Attached to and erected parallel to the face of an outside wall of a building, projecting outward no more than six inches | — | § 170-911B(6)(d) |
| Ground Sign | 5 feet | 30 square feet | — | Minimum of five feet from back of curb or edge of pavement | 1 | — | — | § 170-911C(1)(h) |
| Portable Sign | 4 feet | 10 square feet | — | — | 1 per storefront | Within 15 feet of the front door of the place of business; on an adjacent sidewalk | — | § 170-911E(4) |
| Freestanding Business Sign (Chapter 142 Alternative) | 25 feet from curb level to top of sign | 48 square feet | — | At least 10 feet behind all street rights-of-way; no closer than 20 feet to any adjacent lot | 1 per property | Self-supporting resting or supported by poles or standard | — | § 142-17C |
| Ground Sign for Group of Business Establishments (Chapter 142 Alternative) | 25 feet | 50 square feet per side | — | Not closer than 20 feet to any public right-of-way and not closer than 20 feet to an adjoining lot line | 1 | — | — | § 142-17D |

### General Commercial District (C-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Marquee Sign | — | 10% of the area of the building wall up to 100 square feet | — | — | 1 | Attached to, in any manner, or supported by a permanent roof-like shelter extending from part or all of a building face | — | § 170-911B(2) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 | Securely fastened by metal supports to the building surface | — | § 170-911B(3) |
| Suspended Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 | Suspended from the underside of a horizontal plane surface | — | § 170-911B(5) |
| Ground Sign | 5 feet | 30 square feet | — | Minimum of five feet from back of curb or edge of pavement | 1 | — | — | § 170-911C(1)(h) |
| Pylon Sign | 10 feet | 30 square feet | — | Minimum of five feet from back of curb or edge of pavement | 1 | — | — | § 170-911C(3)(e) |
| Portable Sign | 4 feet | 10 square feet | — | — | 1 per storefront | Within 15 feet of the front door of the place of business; on an adjacent sidewalk | — | § 170-911E(4) |
| Freestanding Business Sign (Chapter 142 Alternative) | 25 feet from curb level to top of sign | 48 square feet | — | At least 10 feet behind all street rights-of-way; no closer than 20 feet to any adjacent lot | 1 per property | Self-supporting resting or supported by poles or standard | — | § 142-17C |
| Ground Sign for Group of Business Establishments (Chapter 142 Alternative) | 25 feet | 50 square feet per side | — | Not closer than 20 feet to any public right-of-way and not closer than 20 feet to an adjoining lot line | 1 | — | — | § 142-17D |

### Flex Office/Industrial (OI)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Billboard | 95 feet above the grade | 300 square feet on each of two sides | 15 feet | Not closer than 20 feet from any property line; not closer than 25 feet nor further than 75 feet from any street or road measured from ultimate right-of-way | — | Within 30 feet of an interstate | — | § 170-911A |
| Marquee Sign | — | 10% of the area of the building wall up to 100 square feet | — | — | 1 | Attached to, in any manner, or supported by a permanent roof-like shelter extending from part or all of a building face | — | § 170-911B(2) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 | Securely fastened by metal supports to the building surface | — | § 170-911B(3) |
| Wall Sign | — | 50 square feet | — | — | 1 | Attached to and erected parallel to the face of an outside wall of a building, projecting outward no more than six inches | — | § 170-911B(6)(d) |
| Ground Sign | 5 feet | 30 square feet | — | Minimum of five feet from back of curb or edge of pavement | 1 | — | — | § 170-911C(1)(h) |
| Pylon Sign | 10 feet | 30 square feet | — | Minimum of five feet from back of curb or edge of pavement | 1 | — | — | § 170-911C(3)(e) |
| Freestanding Business Sign (Chapter 142 Alternative) | 25 feet from curb level to top of sign | 48 square feet | — | At least 10 feet behind all street rights-of-way; no closer than 20 feet to any adjacent lot | 1 per property | Self-supporting resting or supported by poles or standard | — | § 142-17C |
| Ground Sign for Group of Business Establishments (Chapter 142 Alternative) | 25 feet | 50 square feet per side | — | Not closer than 20 feet to any public right-of-way and not closer than 20 feet to an adjoining lot line | 1 | — | — | § 142-17D |

## Prohibited signs in Canonsburg

- Attention-getting devices, unless approved as a temporary special event display
- Off-premise signs, with the exception of billboards, in accordance with regulations
- Signs featuring animation of any kind
- Signs on trees, utility poles or official traffic control devices or signs
- Signs which imitate traffic control devices
- Signs painted on walls or chimneys of a building or on fences or walls
- Signs on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers which are parked on a public right-of-way, public property or private property for the apparent purpose of advertising
- Flashing, animated or moving signs shall not be permitted in any district
- Festoon lighting is not permitted
- Flashing signs are not permitted
- No signs except those of a duly constituted governmental body, including traffic signs and similar regulatory notices, shall be allowed within street rights-of-way
- A sign that is not expressly permitted in any given zoning district is prohibited
- Freestanding roof signs are prohibited

## Signs exempt from permit in Canonsburg

- Official traffic signs
- Government/regulatory signs
- Directional signs
- Public signs which are erected or required by government agencies or utilities, including traffic, utility, safety, railroad crossing, and identification signs for public facilities
- Flags, provided they meet specified regulations (not in yard setbacks, height ≤30 ft, ≤2 per lot in residential/≤3 in other, size ≤24 sq ft residential/≤35 other, commercial flags count toward sign area)
- Residential identification signs, provided they do not exceed two square feet
- Signs inside a building or other enclosed facility, which are not meant to be viewed from the outside
- Holiday and seasonal decorations
- Legal notices
- Building markers
- 'No trespassing,' 'no hunting,' security and warning signs or private property signs, provided they do not exceed two square feet
- Temporary signs on residential properties, that are noncommercial in nature, not illuminated, contain no offensive or obscene language and do not exceed six square feet in size

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Whenever a proposed sign is included in the presentation of a new or amended site plan application, the sign permit application shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission prior to the issuance of a sign permit by the Code Enforcement Officer
- In the case of a lot occupied or intended to be occupied by multiple business enterprises (e.g., a shopping center), sign permits shall be issued in the name of the lot owner or his agent rather than in the name of the individual business enterprise requesting a particular sign

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

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