# Sign Regulations in Dauphin Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Dauphin Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/dauphin-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-19

## At a glance

Dauphin Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 15 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Panel-Type Sign (Billboard)s in the Commercial-Industrial District zoning district are capped at 35 feet measured from roadway to top; not greater than 15 feet in height from grade; not greater than 20 feet in length tall, 120 square feet, and 20 feet wide, with a Minimum 60 feet from street right-of-way; minimum 30 feet from side or rear lot lines setback (Sec. §27-1305.A-L). Most commercial signs in Dauphin Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential and Conservation Districts | 11 | — | 20 square feet | — |
| Neighborhood-Commercial District, Commercial-Industrial District | 2 | — | 50 square feet (individual sign), aggregated for both signs not exceeding 1 square foot per linear foot of street frontage | — |
| Commercial-Industrial District | 1 | 35 feet measured from roadway to top; not greater than 15 feet in height from grade; not greater than 20 feet in length | 120 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### Residential and Conservation Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | One per property, two per frontage if property fronts multiple streets | On property being sold or rented; one per property (unless more than one street frontage, then two per frontage) | — | §27-1303.A |
| Development Sign | — | 20 square feet | — | — | Two per 1,000 feet of frontage | On premises in process of, or available for, development | — | §27-1303.B |
| Sold/Rented Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | As for Real Estate Sign | On property sold/rented | — | §27-1303.C |
| Mechanics/Artisans Sign | — | 12 square feet | — | — | — | On premises where work is being performed | — | §27-1303.D |
| Driveway/Trespassing Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | — | On or near private driveway or property | — | §27-1303.E |
| Institutional Sign | — | 20 square feet | — | — | One per property; two per frontage if property fronts multiple streets | On property of school, college, church, hospital, sanitarium, or similar institution | — | §27-1303.F |
| Home Occupation Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | One per home occupation | On premises of home occupation | — | §27-1303.H |
| Estate/Development Name Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | — | Indicates name of estate or development | — | §27-1303.J |

### Neighborhood-Commercial District, Commercial-Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Identification Sign (Wall) | — | 2 square feet | — | — | One per business or activity | Attached to the building or structure in which the business or activity is located | — | §27-1304.A |
| Business Sign (Freestanding, Wall or Projecting) - Option 1 | — | 50 square feet (individual sign), aggregated for both signs not exceeding 1 square foot per linear foot of street frontage | — | — | Maximum two per property | On property - freestanding, wall, or projecting | — | §27-1304.B |

### Commercial-Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel-Type Sign (Billboard) | 35 feet measured from roadway to top; not greater than 15 feet in height from grade; not greater than 20 feet in length | 120 square feet | 20 feet | Minimum 60 feet from street right-of-way; minimum 30 feet from side or rear lot lines | One sign per facing; double-sided signs allowed | On property in Commercial-Industrial District; not within 1,000 feet of non-commercial-industrial zone or another panel-type sign | — | §27-1305.A-L |

## Prohibited signs in Dauphin Borough

- Signs shall not be placed in such a position that they will cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring the view.
- Signs, other than an official traffic sign, shall not be erected within the lines of any street.
- Signs shall not project above the height limit permitted in any district in which they are located.
- No sign shall be permitted which rotates and/or causes interruption or flashing of light or is mounted on wheeled vehicles.
- Signs must not be allowed to become dilapidated.
- Signs shall be removed when the circumstances leading to their erection no longer apply.

## Signs exempt from permit in Dauphin Borough

- A permit shall not be required for the erection, alteration or maintenance of any signs permitted in a residential district.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Applications for sign permits shall be accompanied by plans or diagrams in duplicate and approximately to scale, showing the exact dimensions of the lot or building, the exact size, dimensions and location of the sign, and any other lawful information required by the Zoning Officer.
- One copy of the submitted plan or diagram shall be returned to the applicant, after it is marked approved or disapproved by the Zoning Officer.

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

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/dauphin-borough