# Sign Regulations in Cornwall Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Cornwall Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/cornwall-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/42313158#42313158)

## At a glance

Cornwall Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 26 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Projecting/Marquee/Roof Sign (Commercial/Office/Institutional/Industrial Use)s in the Commercial Districts, Industrial Districts zoning district are capped at 35 ft tall and 20 sq ft, with a Cannot project beyond two feet inside road right-of-way line setback (Sec. §14-2506.1B(2)). Most commercial signs in Cornwall 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 | 15 | 8 ft (sign post) | 24 sq ft | — |
| Residential Districts, Conservation Recreation Districts, Agricultural Districts | 5 | — | 25 sq ft | — |
| Commercial Districts, Industrial Districts | 5 | 35 ft | 500 sq ft per frontage (250 sq ft ID + 250 sq ft for listing/changeable copy) | — |
| CMU development | 1 | — | — | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Off-Premises Directional Sign | 8 ft (sign post) | 3 sq ft | 6 inches (sign post) | — | Max 6 per principal use within borough | Off-premises, within 2 miles of use. | — | §14-2504.1B |
| Name Plate (Home Business) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | One per dwelling | Dwelling | — | §14-2504.1C |
| Freestanding or Projecting Sign (Guest Home) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per road frontage | Per road frontage | — | §14-2504.1D |
| Institutional Sign or Bulletin Board | — | 16 sq ft | — | 1/2 front yard depth or 25 ft, whichever is less | One per street frontage | No closer to ROW than 1/2 front yard depth or 25 ft, whichever is less | — | §14-2504.1E |
| Subdivision Sign (Temporary) | — | — | — | — | One per road frontage | At entrance of subdivision, on property to be subdivided | — | §14-2504.1F(1) |
| Subdivision Sign (Permanent) | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | One per road frontage | At entrance, on property to be subdivided | — | §14-2504.1F(2) |
| Government/Legal/Direction/Identification/Utility Sign | — | 4 sq ft (civic/service orgs); 2 sq ft (utility signs) | — | — | — | For government, including within ROW | — | §14-2503.1A(3)-(4), (10) |
| Farm or Farm Association Identification Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | One per road frontage | — | — | §14-2503.1A(8) |

### Residential Districts, Conservation Recreation Districts, Agricultural Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall or Projecting Sign (Agri-business) | — | 16 sq ft | — | 1/2 front yard depth or 25 ft, whichever is less | One per property | On-premises, for agri-business properties | — | §14-2505.1A(1)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign (Agri-business) | — | 25 sq ft | — | 1/2 front yard depth or 25 ft, whichever is less | One per property | On-premises, for agri-business properties | — | §14-2505.1A(1)(b) |
| Projecting Sign (Nonconforming Commercial/Industrial uses) | — | 12 sq ft | — | 1/2 front yard depth or 15 ft, whichever is less | — | On-premises, nonconforming commercial/industrial uses | — | §14-2505.1B(1)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign (Nonconforming Commercial/Industrial uses) | — | 16 sq ft | — | 1/2 front yard depth or 15 ft, whichever is less | — | On-premises, nonconforming commercial/industrial uses | — | §14-2505.1B(1)(b) |
| Wall or Window Sign (Nonconforming Commercial/Industrial uses) | — | 12 sq ft | — | 1/2 front yard depth or 15 ft, whichever is less | — | On-premises, nonconforming commercial/industrial uses | — | §14-2505.1B(1)(c) |

### Commercial Districts, Industrial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Commercial/Office/Institutional/Industrial Use) | — | — | — | — | One per road frontage | On wall of principal building, per road frontage | — | §14-2506.1B(1) |
| Projecting/Marquee/Roof Sign (Commercial/Office/Institutional/Industrial Use) | 35 ft | 20 sq ft | — | Cannot project beyond two feet inside road right-of-way line | One per road frontage | Per road frontage, on principal building | — | §14-2506.1B(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (Commercial/Office/Institutional/Industrial Use) | 35 ft | 60 sq ft | — | Two feet inside lot from road ROW | One per road frontage | On-premises, per road frontage | — | §14-2506.1B(3) |
| Freestanding Identification Sign (For Combined District/Center/Complex/Park) | 35 ft | 500 sq ft per frontage (250 sq ft ID + 250 sq ft for listing/changeable copy) | — | — | Max 2 per center/complex/park | Entrance to shopping district/center/complex/park, per frontage. | — | §14-2506.1C |
| Off-Premises Billboard/Advertising Sign Board | 35 ft | 200 sq ft (per sign) | — | 25 ft minimum from road ROW | — | Off-premises, minimum 25 feet from road ROW. | — | §14-2506.1D |

## Prohibited signs in Cornwall Borough

- No sign shall be located, erected, constructed, reconstructed, replaced, altered, removed for repair, enlarged, or relocated until a permit is obtained from the Zoning Officer, except for specifically exempted signs.
- No sign shall be illuminated to have a glaring effect upon vehicular traffic.
- No sign shall be illuminated so as to constitute a nuisance.
- No sign shall contain moving parts or use flashing or intermittent illumination; the source of light must be steady and stationary.
- No sign shall be higher than 35 feet from the ground to the highest part of the sign.
- No sign shall be erected so as to obstruct entrance to or exit from a required door, window, fire escape, or other required exitway.
- No sign shall be erected that screens traffic signals or signs or utilizes red, green, or amber lights or reflectorized material that creates a flashing action and is so located as to render ineffective any traffic sign or signal.
- Any sign resembling an official traffic sign or signal by way of appearance or content is prohibited.
- Unless otherwise provided, no sign shall be painted, pasted, or otherwise affixed to any tree, rock, utility pole, hydrant, bridge, sidewalk, curb, or street.
- Unless otherwise provided, no portion of any sign shall be erected within or placed on any existing structure in the road right-of-way.
- No portion of any sign shall be erected within the 'clear sight triangle' as specified in the ordinance.
- Unless otherwise specified, all signs shall be on premises.
- No sign shall be erected until a permit has been secured from the Zoning Officer and approval received from any other applicable State or local agencies.
- No sign shall contain obscene material.
- Portable signs, if utilized, shall comply with the requirements for freestanding signs and be included in the calculation of the maximum allowable sign area.
- All signs not owned by the person, firm, or organization advertising thereon shall carry a clearly legible imprint showing the owner’s name.
- Every sign shall be maintained in a safe, presentable, and good structural condition at all times; defective or abandoned signs must be removed.
- No person shall willfully or maliciously destroy, remove, deface, obliterate, or cover up any lamp, warning sign, or barricade erected by the Borough authorities or their permittees.

## Signs exempt from permit in Cornwall Borough

- Signs not exceeding two square feet in area and bearing only property numbers, postal box numbers, or names of the occupants of the premises.
- Flags and insignia of any government, except when displayed in connection with commercial promotion.
- Legal notices, official traffic signs, community facilities signs, municipality identification signs, noncommercial historical or geographical identification information or directional signs erected by government bodies (may be placed within the road right-of-way).
- Geographical identification and greeting signs erected by civic and service organizations, not exceeding four square feet in area, comprised of the organization’s standard emblem or seal.
- Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings, except letters, trademarks, moving parts, or moving lights.
- Signs directing and guiding traffic and parking on private property, but bearing no advertising matter.
- Temporary signs as described in §14-2504.A.
- Signs identifying farms, farm associations, and agricultural products, provided no farm or association identification sign exceeds 10 square feet in area and no more than one sign is erected per road frontage.
- Hunting, fishing, and trespassing signs and signs indicating private ownership of roadways or property, provided such signs do not exceed two square feet in area and are spaced at intervals of not less than 100 feet along street frontage.
- Signs up to four square feet in area necessary for identification, protection, and operation of public utility facilities.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs and advertising structures require a permit from the Zoning Officer unless specifically exempted.
- Application for off-premises directional sign permits must include a map indicating location of placement, land owner’s written approval, name to be placed on the sign, and distances from the facility to each sign.
- Prior to removal of a nonconforming sign for maintenance, repair, or message change, a permit shall be secured from the Zoning Officer.
- If message change of a nonconforming sign requires removal of the sign, a permit shall be secured.
- In CMU (Community Mixed Use) developments, the applicant may submit comprehensive signage standards (i.e., a master sign plan) for review and approval with the tentative plan application. If approved, these signage standards supersede Article 25.

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

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