# Sign Regulations in Dormont Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Dormont Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/dormont-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/37593558#37593558)

## At a glance

Dormont Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 13 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Access Signs in the Transit-Oriented (TO) zoning district are capped at 3 ft tall and 4 sq ft (per sign), with a Max 4 ft from right-of-way setback (Sec. §210-506.J). Most commercial signs in Dormont Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Transit-Oriented (TO) | 10 | 36 in | 75% valance; 25% sloping portion (of awning area) | — |
| Commercial (C) | 10 | 36 in | 75% valance; 25% sloping portion (of awning area) | — |
| Residential Alley-Loaded (R-A) | 2 | — | 1 sq ft (per sign) | — |
| Residential Street-Loaded (R-S) | 2 | 36 in | 6 sq ft (aggregate) | — |
| Residential Collector Streets (R-C) | 7 | 36 in | 75% valance; 25% sloping portion (of awning area) | — |
| Public Amenities (PA) | 7 | 36 in | 36 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | 30 sq ft (changeable copy portion) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### Transit-Oriented (TO)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Projecting Sign | 18 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per principal building | — | — | §210-506.C |
| Roof Sign | Equivalent to least floor-to-ceiling height of any floor in principal building | — | 40 ft | 3 ft from roof edge | — | — | — | §210-506.D |
| Window Sign | — | 15% of total front facade glazing | — | — | — | Front facade windows | — | §210-506.E |
| Sandwich Board | 36 in | 6 sq ft (aggregate) | 24 in | — | — | Sidewalk or pedestrianway | — | §210-506.G |
| Awning Sign | — | 75% valance; 25% sloping portion (of awning area) | — | — | 1 per entrance | Awning valance and sloping portion | — | §210-506.H |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft | 12 sq ft (aggregate) | — | 3 ft from right-of-way | — | — | — | §210-506.I |
| Access Sign | 3 ft | 4 sq ft (per sign) | — | Max 4 ft from right-of-way | 1 per vehicular access point | Per vehicular access point; Max setback 4 ft from right-of-way | — | §210-506.J |
| Entranceway Sign | — | 1 sq ft (per sign) | — | — | 1 per primary exterior entranceway | On entry door or within 3 ft of entry door (per primary exterior entranceway) | — | §210-506.K |

### Commercial (C)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Projecting Sign | 18 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per principal building | — | — | §210-506.C |
| Roof Sign | Equivalent to least floor-to-ceiling height of any floor in principal building | — | 40 ft | 3 ft from roof edge | — | — | — | §210-506.D |
| Window Sign | — | 15% of total front facade glazing | — | — | — | Front facade windows | — | §210-506.E |
| Sandwich Board | 36 in | 6 sq ft (aggregate) | 24 in | — | — | Sidewalk or pedestrianway | — | §210-506.G |
| Awning Sign | — | 75% valance; 25% sloping portion (of awning area) | — | — | 1 per entrance | Awning valance and sloping portion | — | §210-506.H |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft | 12 sq ft (aggregate) | — | 3 ft from right-of-way | — | — | — | §210-506.I |
| Access Sign | 3 ft | 4 sq ft (per sign) | — | Max 4 ft from right-of-way | 1 per vehicular access point | Per vehicular access point; Max setback 4 ft from right-of-way | — | §210-506.J |
| Entranceway Sign | — | 1 sq ft (per sign) | — | — | 1 per primary exterior entranceway | On entry door or within 3 ft of entry door (per primary exterior entranceway) | — | §210-506.K |

### Public Amenities (PA)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Monument Sign | 8 ft | 36 sq ft | — | 10 ft minimum from right-of-way | 1 | — | — | §210-506.A |
| Projecting Sign | 18 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per principal building | — | — | §210-506.C |
| Painted Mural | — | — | — | — | — | Vertical building wall | — | §210-506.F |
| Sandwich Board | 36 in | 6 sq ft (aggregate) | 24 in | — | — | Sidewalk or pedestrianway | — | §210-506.G |
| Access Sign | 3 ft | 4 sq ft (per sign) | — | Max 4 ft from right-of-way | 1 per vehicular access point | Per vehicular access point; Max setback 4 ft from right-of-way | — | §210-506.J |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft | 12 sq ft (aggregate) | — | 3 ft from right-of-way | — | — | — | §210-506.I |
| Entranceway Sign | — | 1 sq ft (per sign) | — | — | 1 per primary exterior entranceway | On entry door or within 3 ft of entry door (per primary exterior entranceway) | — | §210-506.K |

## Prohibited signs in Dormont Borough

- No sign may obstruct the sight triangle of an intersection along a public right-of-way.
- No sign may, by its color, shape, positioning, or nature, obstruct the view of a traffic sign or traffic signal.
- A sign may not use a color, shape, positioning, or message that could reasonably cause confusion with pedestrian or vehicular traffic directives.
- No red, green, or yellow illuminated sign may be located within 300 feet of any traffic signal.
- A sign shall not be located in a manner that interferes with the movement or visibility of pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, or other such users of the right-of-way.
- A sign and its supporting structures shall not interfere with public utility equipment or communications lines or equipment that are either above or below grade.
- No sign may be permitted without the consent of the property owner or their authorized agent.
- A sign on public property may not project over a roadway or into a utility easement airspace.
- No sign is permitted on public property in the P-1 District.
- Changeable copy and electronic digital message signs are permitted only where indicated in the Sign Table.
- No video, animation, scrolling, noise, or flashing features are permitted on changeable copy and electronic digital message signs.
- All signs shall be maintained in safe and good structural condition, in compliance with all applicable building and electrical codes, and in conformance with this chapter.
- Unsafe, unlawful, or abandoned signs must be removed upon notice.
- Signs must comply with adopted building, electrical, and construction codes.
- Portable or wheeled signs are prohibited.
- Banners are prohibited.
- Inflatable display devices of any kind are prohibited.
- Searchlights, oscillating signs, moving signs, flashing signs are prohibited.
- Signs on trees, utility poles, and official traffic control devices are prohibited.
- Signs that imitate traffic control devices are prohibited.
- Strings of lights, flashers, pennants, or other display paraphernalia (except as specifically authorized) are prohibited.
- Overhanging signs are prohibited.
- Freestanding signs, other than monument signs and access signs, are prohibited.
- Signs on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers that are parked and are visible from the public right-of-way for the apparent purpose of advertising are prohibited, except for temporary storage or service/maintenance purposes.
- All sign types not expressly listed as permitted are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Dormont Borough

- Memorial/historical plaques, as defined herein, are exempt from the regulations in this article.
- Signs authorized by the Borough Council or erected by a governmental agency, including street signs, official traffic signs, and public art when approved by the Borough Council, are exempt from the regulations in this article.
- Temporary signs and entranceway signs do not require a permit.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Every person desiring to erect a sign shall first obtain a sign permit and all other permits required for the desired structure, unless the sign is a temporary sign or an entranceway sign.
- For certain sign types or locations (e.g., monument signs in R-C district), a site plan may be required as indicated in the Sign Table.
- Conditional uses in any district may have sign types, sizes, location, and manner allowed or prohibited as determined by the chapter or by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

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

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