# Sign Regulations in Denver Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Denver Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/denver-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/12262423#12262423)

## At a glance

Denver Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 11 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Off-Premises Advertising Sign (Billboard)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 25 ft tall and 300 sq ft per side, with a 100 ft from ROW, 600 ft from dwellings, 1,000 ft from other signs setback (Sec. § 200-127A-H). Most commercial signs in Denver Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Commercial District | 5 | — | 60 sq ft | — |
| Industrial District | 6 | — | 60 sq ft | — |
| Business District (B) | 6 | 4 ft | 60 sq ft | — |
| Institutional District | 5 | — | 60 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | 25 ft | 300 sq ft per side | — |

_1 additional zoning district is covered in PermitPal (free account)._

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 60 sq ft | — | — | — | Building wall | — | § 200-132A-D |
| Freestanding Sign | — | — | — | Must be behind property line. | — | Behind property line; not project over right-of-way or adjoining lands. | — | § 200-129A-C |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | May not project more than 5 ft beyond building line; not closer than 2 ft to curb/curbline. | — | § 200-130A-C |
| Canopy Sign | — | 60 sq ft | — | — | — | Canopy, building facade | — | § 200-131A-E |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Inside window | — | § 200-136 and Table 9-2 |
| Electronic Message Display (EMD) Sign | — | — | — | Not within 150 ft of residential areas. | — | — | — | § 200-137.1B |

### Business District (B)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 60 sq ft | — | — | — | Building wall | — | § 200-132A-D |
| Freestanding Sign | — | — | — | Must be behind property line. | — | Behind property line; not to project over right-of-way or adjoining lands; not in planned/shopping centers. | — | § 200-129A-C |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | May not project more than 5 ft beyond building line, not closer than 2 ft to curb/curbline. | — | § 200-130A-C |
| Canopy Sign | — | 60 sq ft | — | — | — | Canopy, building facade | — | § 200-131A-E |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Inside window | — | § 200-136 and Table 9-2 |
| Sidewalk Sign | 4 ft | — | 3 ft | — | 1 per premises | Sidewalk | — | § 200-134A-F |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 200-126A-H |
| Off-Premises Advertising Sign (Billboard) | 25 ft | 300 sq ft per side | — | 100 ft from ROW, 600 ft from dwellings, 1,000 ft from other signs | One two-sided panel per location | Min 100 ft setback from street right-of-way line; min 600 ft from existing dwellings; min 1,000 ft from other billboards. | — | § 200-127A-H |
| Bus Shelter Sign | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | 1 per bus shelter (both sides ok) | Rear side, parallel to street | — | § 200-137A-D |
| Planned Center Entrance/Directory Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per planned center | Frontage on major collector road; on lands of the center | — | § 200-135C-E |

## Prohibited signs in Denver Borough

- All signs not expressly permitted under this chapter or exempt from regulation hereunder are prohibited.
- Signs incorporating flashing or moving illumination, or variable intensity or color illumination, or with any visible moving part, revolving part, or mechanical movement are prohibited. (Exception: signs displaying only weather and time information.)
- Exterior or interior flashing signs or lights such as lasers or floodlights distracting to drivers are prohibited.
- Any sign or structure in disrepair constituting a hazard to public safety or health is prohibited.
- Signs which obstruct the vision of drivers or detract from visibility or effectiveness of any traffic sign or control device on public streets and roads are prohibited.
- Any sign obstructing free ingress or egress from a fire escape, door, window, or other required exitway is prohibited.
- Signs using words or symbols such as 'stop,' 'look,' 'one-way', 'danger', 'yield,' or any similar words, phrases, symbols, lights, or characters that interfere with, mislead, confuse, or distract drivers are prohibited.
- Any obsolete sign (including structural members) that is no longer licensed is prohibited.
- Signs on public property, public rights-of-way, or utility poles not erected by a governmental body or utility company are prohibited.
- Strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background, except those exempted for holiday purposes, are prohibited.
- Inflatable signs and tethered balloons, including those larger than two feet in diameter, are prohibited unless allowed as temporary signs under specific limitations.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs specially constructed and erected on motor vehicles for advertising purposes are prohibited, except legally registered public transportation vehicles.
- Signs that include pornographic or obscene words or displays relating to sexual activities are prohibited.
- No sign may be placed in a position causing danger to vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
- No sign or sign-bearing structure other than official traffic signs and public utility facilities shall be erected within or extend into the right-of-way of a street except as authorized.
- No sign shall be higher than the height limitations of the district in which it is located.
- No sign shall be placed on utility poles except as allowed by Pennsylvania Act 360.
- No sign may be located or maintained in clear sight triangles at driveways or intersections if it exceeds two feet above undisturbed grade.
- No sidewalk sign shall block pedestrian traffic, create a hazard for persons with disabilities, or be placed at any bus stop, loading zone, driveway, or block corner visibility for drivers; nor shall they be fastened to any tree, utility pole, parking meter, street sign or other structure.
- No person may willfully or maliciously destroy, remove, deface, obliterate, or cover up any warning sign or barricade erected by Borough authorities or authorized parties.

## Signs exempt from permit in Denver Borough

- Signs necessary for the direction, regulation and control of traffic, street name signs, warnings at railroad crossings, and other official signs authorized or erected by a duly constituted governmental body are exempt.
- Any public notice or warning required by valid and applicable federal, state or local law, regulation or ordinance is exempt.
- Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door, and not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the property is exempt.
- Holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message are exempt.
- Traffic control signs on private property, such as Stop, Yield, and similar signs meeting PennDOT standards and containing no commercial message, are exempt.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs, except where exempted, require a permit; one application and permit may include multiple signs on the same premises.
- A detailed drawing showing dimensions, design, structure, and location is required for permit applications (one application can be for multiple signs on same property).
- No sign permit of any kind shall be issued for any sign unless such sign is consistent with the requirements of this article in every respect.
- It is a violation to install, create, erect, or maintain any sign in a way inconsistent with any plan or permit governing such sign.
- Modifications to area/dimensional requirements exceeding the code must be sought through variance from the Zoning Hearing Board.
- Temporary signs (except those exempt in §200-113) require a temporary sign permit.
- A permit is required for the erection, placement, establishment, creation, alteration, or maintenance of all signs unless otherwise indicated in this article.
- All off-premises advertising signs require a permit and a registration certificate.
- All existing nonconforming signs must be licensed within 180 days after adoption of this chapter.
- The code references a permit system and standards for all permitted signs; no explicit mention of 'master sign plan' or required sign plan meeting, but permit applications can cover multiple signs on a property and any modification to standards must go through variance.

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

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