# Sign Regulations in East Earl Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** East Earl Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/east-earl-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/33378723#33378723)

## At a glance

East Earl Township, Pennsylvania regulates 24 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Billboards in the Commercial General District, Industrial Light District, Industrial Vehicular District, Mineral Recovery District zoning district are capped at 12 ft (vertical), 25 ft (horizontal) tall, 300 sq ft per face, and 25 ft wide, with a 35 ft from right-of-way, 50 ft from sides/rear/residential setback (Sec. § 450-132.D(1-11)). Most commercial signs in East Earl Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 14 | 8 ft | 40 sq ft | — |
| Commercial General District, Industrial Light District, Industrial Vehicular District, Mineral Recovery District | 8 | 24 ft | 300 sq ft per face | — |
| Commercial Neighborhood District | 9 | 16 ft | 30% of window area | — |
| Agricultural District, Residential Low-Density District, Residential Medium-Density District | 6 | 10 ft (AG); 8 ft (Res Low/Med) | 32 sq ft (business signs, per § 450-133C(1)(b)) | — |
| Conservation/Open Space District, Welsh Mountain Watershed Conservation District | 1 | — | 16 sq ft | — |
| Other commercial and industrial districts | 2 | — | 75 sq ft (per sign), up to 300 sq ft per lot, total per lot up to 3x lot frontage | — |
| Agricultural and residential districts | 4 | — | 32 sq ft (business signs, per § 450-133C(1)(b)) | — |
| Conservation/open space districts | 1 | — | 16 sq ft | — |

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

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 9 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Home Occupation Sign | 4 ft (if on post) | 2 sq ft | — | 3 ft from street right-of-way | — | Attached to building (projects max 6 inches from wall) or on a post (minimum 3 ft setback from street right-of-way) | — | § 450-132.B(1-2) |
| Multiple Sign | 6 ft (Ag, Res Low, Res Medium, Comm Neighborhood); 20 ft (Comm General, Ind Light, Ind Vehicular, Mineral Recovery) | 20 sq ft (Ag, Res Low, Res Medium, Comm Neighborhood); 72 sq ft (Comm General, Ind Light, Ind Vehicular, Mineral Recovery) | — | 10 ft from property lines | 1 per building/complex | — | — | § 450-132.I(1-6) |
| Off-Premises Sign | 4 ft | 4 sq ft | — | 3 ft | — | — | — | § 450-132.J(1-6) |
| Political Sign | 6 ft | 6 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines | 2 per lot | — | — | § 450-132.K(1-8) |
| Portable Sign | 6 ft | 10 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines | — | — | — | § 450-132.L(1-5) |
| Projecting Sign | 8 ft | 10 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines | — | Wall-mounted, perpendicular to building | — | § 450-132.M(1-7) |
| Sale/Rent/Lease Sign | — | 6 sq ft (sites ≤ 1 acre); 16 sq ft (sites > 1 acre) | — | — | 2 per property | On property being sold/rented/leased | — | § 450-132.N(1-6) |
| Subdivision Sign | 5 ft | 20 sq ft | — | Principal setback of underlying zoning district | 1 per street access | — | — | § 450-132.O(1-3) |

### Commercial General District, Industrial Light District, Industrial Vehicular District, Mineral Recovery District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Pole Sign | 16 ft | 16 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines | 1 per lot | — | — | § 450-132.F(2)(a)[4], (3)(a)[4] |
| Freestanding Sign (Other) | 24 ft | 24 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines | 1 per lot | — | — | § 450-132.F(2)(b)[4], (3)(b)[4] |
| Billboard | 12 ft (vertical), 25 ft (horizontal) | 300 sq ft per face | 25 ft | 35 ft from right-of-way, 50 ft from sides/rear/residential | 1 per location | — | — | § 450-132.D(1-11) |
| LED Message Board | — | Subject to size for sign type/location, see sign type | — | — | — | — | — | § 450-132.G, § 450-131 |
| Multiple Sign | 20 ft | 72 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines | 1 per building/complex | — | — | § 450-132.I(3)(a)[2], (4)(b), (5), (6) |
| Movable (Sandwich Board) Sign | 4 ft | — | — | — | — | Not in street or obstructing sidewalk | — | § 450-132.H(1-4) |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On or parallel to wall, not above roof | — | § 450-132.Q, § 450-133B(1) |
| Window Sign | — | 30% of window area | — | — | — | Window | — | § 450-132.R(1) |

### Commercial Neighborhood District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 2 ft (if immediately above storefront band) | — | — | — | 2 per ground floor occupant, 1 per upper floor occupant | Band above storefront; pedestrian level | — | § 450-133A(1-5), 450-132Q |
| Window Sign | — | 30% of window area | — | — | — | Window | — | § 450-133A(5); § 450-132.R(1) |
| Projecting Sign | 8 ft | 10 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines | — | — | — | § 450-133A(5); § 450-132M(1-7) |
| Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As per wall sign, above storefront encouraged | — | § 450-133A(5); § 450-132C(1-4) |
| Movable (Sandwich Board) Sign | 4 ft | — | — | — | — | Not in street or sidewalk area | — | § 450-132.H(1-4); § 450-133A(5) |
| Multiple Sign | 6 ft | 20 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines | 1 per building/complex | — | — | § 450-132I(3)(a)[1], (4)(a)[1] |
| Freestanding Pole Sign | 10 ft | 10 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines | 1 per lot | — | — | § 450-132.F(2)(a)[3], (3)(a)[3] |
| Freestanding Sign (Other) | 16 ft | 16 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines | 1 per lot | — | — | § 450-132.F(2)(b)[3], (3)(b)[3] |

## Prohibited signs in East Earl Township

- No sign shall be erected, enlarged or relocated until a permit for doing so has been issued by the Zoning Officer, unless specifically exempted.
- No sign shall be erected, enlarged, or relocated except in compliance with all applicable ordinances, codes, and regulations.
- All signs must reflect the general character of the neighborhood.
- Areas surrounding all signs must be maintained in a neat, clean, and attractive condition.
- Signs must be constructed of durable materials and kept in good repair.
- No sign may be structurally unsafe or constitute a hazard to public safety and health by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, or abandonment.
- No sign may obstruct free entrance or exit from a required door, window, or fire escape.
- No sign may obstruct light or air or interfere with proper functioning of the building.
- No sign shall be affixed to a fence, utility pole or structure, tree, shrub, rock, or natural object.
- No sign shall be located within a street right-of-way, except for official government signs.
- Signs shall not be mounted on roofs or extend above the roof line, except if mounted on an extended wall, not exceeding the top.
- No sign shall be placed in such a position at any location that it will cause danger on a street by obscuring view.
- No sign shall be located within the clear sight triangle of any street intersection.
- Prohibited types of signs: signs for defunct/no-longer present businesses or organizations unless landmark/historic, unauthorized temporary signs, street banners (except for civic/charitable nonprofits), signs with 'stop', 'caution', or 'danger', or that resemble traffic signals/signs, vulgar/obscene/pornographic signs, animated/flashing/rotating/oscillating signs (except community service in certain districts), streamers, pennants, spinners, reflectors, ribbons, tinsel, balloons or similar materials outside a building, festoon/beacon lighting, signs emitting smoke, vapors, particles, sound, or odor, vehicle signs used primarily for advertising or positioned for attention, inflatable signs, signs with open flames or other animated attention-getting devices, signs illuminated with red/green/yellow lights or neon tubing within 300 feet of a traffic light.
- Signs installed or placed on public property, except as allowed, are subject to confiscation and removal.
- No lighting shall be permitted to outline buildings or structures or parts thereof through the use of exposed neon tubing or strings of lights, except customary holiday decorations (within specified time periods).
- Illuminated signs shall not be permitted to shine onto residential properties and public rights-of-way.
- Business signs in districts other than commercial/industrial must not be illuminated when the business is closed unless for security.
- Any sign which is abandoned or remains after the termination of a business (closed for at least 90 days) must be removed within 30 days of notice.
- Signs not conforming with permit or ordinance requirements placed on public property or right-of-way are forfeited to the public and subject to removal.

## Signs exempt from permit in East Earl Township

- Official traffic signs and signs erected or posted and maintained for public safety and welfare or pursuant to any federal, state, county or Township government function, law, bylaw, or other regulation.
- Signs displaying the name and address of the occupant or historic significance of a dwelling, not exceeding two square feet, one per dwelling unit per street frontage and not closer than 10 feet to the street right-of-way.
- A bulletin board or similar sign not exceeding 20 square feet in area in connection with any church, museum, library, school, or similar public or semipublic structure, provided the top is no more than eight feet above ground and it complies with all other regulations.
- Directional signs indicating ingress and egress at driveway locations, containing no advertising, with display area not exceeding three square feet and not higher than four feet above ground (must comply with all other regulations).
- Signs relating to trespassing and hunting, not exceeding two square feet in area.
- Holiday decorations displayed for recognized holidays except as they may interfere with traffic safety or otherwise become a public hazard.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Permit applications must be approved by the Zoning Officer using Township-prescribed forms specifying dimensions, materials, illumination, content, etc.
- Signs may only be erected, enlarged, or relocated after a permit is issued unless expressly exempted; exemptions are specifically enumerated.
- All permit applications must include scale drawings and detailed specifications as required.
- Some signs (e.g., billboards in specific districts) require approval by special exception or other governing boards.
- Master sign plan or variance meetings are not expressly required in the provided sections, but special exceptions or approvals by the Zoning Hearing Board are needed in certain cases (e.g., nonconforming signs, billboards, LED message boards in non-commercial/industrial zones).

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

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