# Sign Regulations in Earl Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Earl Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/earl-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-11-20
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://earltownship.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Part-11-Sign-Regulations.pdf)

## At a glance

Earl Township, Pennsylvania regulates 27 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Billboard (Off-Premise Advertising)s in the Commercial (C); Industrial (I) zoning district are capped at 25 ft maximum height tall and 300 sq ft per side, with a Minimum 30 ft from street right-of-way line. setback (Sec. § 27-1104(D)(1)-(6)). Most commercial signs in Earl Township 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 | 4 | Freestanding signs: not higher than 20 ft above predevelopment grade; Building-mounted signs: may not extend above the building height; roof-mounted signs prohibited. | No expansion of area beyond existing; may utilize both front and back surfaces. | — |
| Agricultural (AG); Rural Residential (RR); Residential (R) | 12 | — | 24 sq ft (per side) | — |
| Commercial (C); Industrial (I) | 10 | 25 ft maximum height | 300 sq ft per side | — |
| Commercial (C) (Commercial park or shopping center); Industrial (I) (Industrial park) | 2 | — | 1/10 of building face area | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs (General Measurement and Restrictions) | Freestanding signs: not higher than 20 ft above predevelopment grade; Building-mounted signs: may not extend above the building height; roof-mounted signs prohibited. | — | — | — | — | Prohibited on roofs; not attached to public utility poles or trees within street right-of-way; must not be placed to obscure views and create traffic danger. | — | § 27-1102(A)-(I), (J) |
| Signs within street right-of-way (Special Exception) | — | — | — | — | — | Within or extending into the right-of-way of a street only when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board as a special exception. | — | § 27-1102(H) |
| Nonconforming Signs (General) | — | No expansion of area beyond existing; may utilize both front and back surfaces. | — | — | — | — | — | § 27-1105(1)-(3) |
| Signs for Nonconforming Buildings/Uses (Special Exception) | — | Not greater than the more restrictive of: (a) permitted number/area of signs in the district where the nonconforming use/building is located, or (b) permitted number/area in the district where the use/building would be permitted. | — | Not within side yard setback for the district. | Limited to the more restrictive permitted number per applicable district. | Must be erected on the premises of the nonconforming building/use or upon a private right-of-way leading to the premises; may not advertise products sold off-premises. | — | § 27-1106(A)-(C) |

### Agricultural (AG); Rural Residential (RR); Residential (R)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Official Traffic and Street Name Signs | — | — | — | — | — | As required by law or erected by governmental agency. | — | § 27-1103(A) |
| Professional/Home Occupation/Name Sign | — | 4 sq ft (per side) | — | — | — | On the dwelling/premises of the occupant. | — | § 27-1103(B) |
| Identification Sign (Institutions/Farms/Estates/Clubs/Lodges/Apartments) | — | 15 sq ft (per side) | — | — | Max 2 per property per street frontage | On the property of the institution or similar use. | — | § 27-1103(C) |
| Real Estate Sign (Sale or Rental of Premises) | — | 12 sq ft (per side) | — | — | — | Erected only on the premises to which they relate. | — | § 27-1103(D) |
| Roadside Stand Sign (Farm Products) | — | 6 sq ft (per side) | — | — | Max 2 | On the property where the roadside stand is permitted. | — | § 27-1103(F) |
| Nonconforming Use Sign (AG/RR/R) | — | Total area relating to the use shall not be increased beyond that existing when it became nonconforming. | — | — | — | Erected only on the premises on which such nonconforming use is located. | — | § 27-1103(G) |
| Temporary Promotional Device (Banner/Pennant/Portable) | — | 6 sq ft (per sign/device) | — | — | Max 1 per property | On the property where the activity is located. | — | § 27-1103(I) |
| Off-Premise Directional Sign (Nonprofit) | — | 6 sq ft (per sign) | — | — | Max 1 prior to each necessary intersection turn; Max 4 total per facility | Off-premise; only one sign prior to each intersection turning movement necessary to reach the facility; no more than four such signs per facility. | — | § 27-1103(K)(1)-(5) |

### Commercial (C); Industrial (I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Advertising Signs (Two or fewer establishments) - Option 2 (Building face area method) | — | Aggregate cap = 1/5 of front face area; individual front-face sign = 1/10 of same face area | — | Not within side yard setback. | — | Front-face building sign limited to one side of the building face. | — | § 27-1104(A)(2)(a) |
| Identification Sign (Between building and street right-of-way) (Two or fewer establishments) | — | Counts toward aggregate cap per Option 1 or Option 2. | — | Not within side yard setback; must respect general right-of-way restrictions in § 27-1102(H). | 1 (or 2 if single lot frontage >300 ft; aggregate area unchanged) | Between the commercial/industrial building(s) and the street right-of-way. | — | § 27-1104(A)(2)(b), (A)(4) |
| Wall/Building Face Sign (Per establishment) (Two or fewer establishments) | — | If Option 2 used: 1/10 of building face area; otherwise governed by aggregate cap. | — | Not within side yard setback. | 1 per establishment | On one side (face) of the building for each establishment. | — | § 27-1104(A)(2)(b) |
| Advertising Signs (Three or more establishments in a complex) - Park Identification Sign | — | Per formula | — | Not within side yard setback. | 1 (or 2 if single lot frontage >300 ft; aggregate area unchanged) | At entrance or location identifying the complex (commercial park/shopping center or industrial park). | — | § 27-1104(A)(3)(a)(1), (A)(4) |
| Wall Sign (Enterprise in complex) (Three or more establishments) | — | 1/10 of building face area | — | Not within side yard setback. | 1 per enterprise building face | On one side of each enterprise's building within the complex. | — | § 27-1104(A)(3)(a)(2) |
| Real Estate Sign (Sale or Rental of Premises) | — | 40 sq ft (per side) | — | — | 1 (2 allowed if lot frontage >300 ft) | On-premises only. | — | § 27-1104(B)(1)-(3) |
| Billboard (Off-Premise Advertising) | 25 ft maximum height | 300 sq ft per side | — | Minimum 30 ft from street right-of-way line. | Max 1 panel (two sides) per billboard | Off-premise within C and I districts. | — | § 27-1104(D)(1)-(6) |
| Off-Premise Directional Sign (Nonprofit) (AG/RR/R sign types permitted in C/I) | — | 6 sq ft (per sign) | — | — | Max 1 per turn; Max 4 total per facility | Off-premise; limited to one prior to each intersection turning movement; max four per facility. | — | § 27-1104(C) (incorporating § 27-1103(K)) |

## Prohibited signs in Earl Township

- No sign that is part of or supported by a building may be erected upon the roof of such building or extend above the height of the building.
- Freestanding signs may not extend higher than 20 feet above the predevelopment grade.
- No signs may be posted, stapled, nailed, or otherwise mechanically attached to public utility poles or trees within a street right-of-way.
- No sign may be placed in a position that causes danger to vehicular or pedestrian traffic on a street by obscuring the view.
- No sign or sign-bearing structure may be erected within or extend into the right-of-way of a street unless authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board as a special exception (except official traffic signs and necessary public utility signs).
- No sign may contain or use flashing, intermittent, or rotating illumination (except official traffic control signs and parts of signs displaying time and/or temperature).
- Every sign must be constructed of durable materials, kept in good condition and repair, and shall not be allowed to become dilapidated; signs not repaired within 90 days of notice by the Zoning Officer must be removed.

## Signs exempt from permit in Earl Township

- Official traffic control signs and the portions of signs that display time and/or temperature are exempt from the ban on flashing, intermittent, or rotating illumination.
- Official traffic signs and public utility signs necessary for the operation, identification, or protection of public utility facilities are exempt from the prohibition on being within or extending into the street right-of-way.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Signs within or extending into a street right-of-way (other than official traffic and necessary public utility signs) require authorization by the Zoning Hearing Board as a special exception.
- Signs advertising a nonconforming building or use require a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board after a hearing and must comply with § 27-1102 and any conditions the Board imposes.
- No master sign plan requirement is specified in the provided sections.

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

---

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