# Sign Regulations in East McKeesport Borough, Pennsylvania

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

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

## At a glance

East McKeesport Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 40 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Ground Sign (Neighborhood)s in the Neighborhood Use District zoning district are capped at 5 ft tall and 15 sq ft, with a 5 ft from public ROW; only when building set back more than 10 ft from front lot line setback (Sec. §27-901.9.2, D). Most commercial signs in East McKeesport Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 7 | 5 ft | 8 sq ft | — |
| Neighborhood Use District | 15 | 5 ft | 30 sq ft | — |
| Mixed Use District | 16 | 15 ft | 100 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | — | 5 sq ft (inside windows of commercial establishments) | — |
| Nonresidential Group Developments | 2 | 25 ft | 150 sq ft (cumulative) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign (Residential) | 5 ft | 2 sq ft (single family); 8 sq ft (multi-family); cumulative per lot 16 sq ft | — | — | One per street front | On residential lot | — | §27-901.13.1 |
| Wall Sign (Residential) | — | 2 sq ft (single family); 8 sq ft (multi-family); cumulative per lot 16 sq ft | — | — | One per street front | On residential lot | — | §27-901.13.1 |
| Political Sign (Residential) | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | — | On private property, not in right-of-way | — | §27-901.11.1.A |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per street front | On property for sale/lease only | — | §27-901.11.2.A, D, E |
| Construction Sign (Residential) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per street front | On property under construction | — | §27-901.11.3.A, C, D |
| Directional Sign (Residential) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 2 per street entrance (limit only applies to exterior entrances) | On private property | — | §27-901.11.4.B, D, E, F |
| Address Sign / Nameplate | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | On residential property | — | §27-901.12.H |

### Neighborhood Use District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | 25% of exposed surface area for lettering and logos | — | — | One per entrance and one per window | Above entrances or windows | — | §27-901.9.1 |
| Ground Sign (Neighborhood) | 5 ft | 15 sq ft | — | 5 ft from public ROW; only when building set back more than 10 ft from front lot line | One per street front | Setback at least 5 ft from public right-of-way | — | §27-901.9.2, D |
| Projecting/Hanging Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | One per occupancy per frontage | Per frontage with public entrance | — | §27-901.9.6 |
| Wall Sign (Neighborhood) | — | 30 sq ft | — | — | One per street front | On building wall | — | §27-901.9.7.C |
| Sandwich Board Sign | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | One per occupancy | Sidewalk (adjacent to operating business) | — | §27-901.10.1.C |
| Marquee Sign | — | 25% of surface area for lettering/logo | — | — | One per primary entrance | Above primary public entrance | — | §27-901.9.3 |
| Temporary Promotion/Grand Opening/Event Sign | — | 30 sq ft | — | — | One per street front | On lot or building | — | §27-901.10.1.A |
| Real Estate Sign (Neighborhood) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per street front | On property for sale/lease only | — | §27-901.11.2.A, D, E |

### Mixed Use District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | 25% of exposed surface area for lettering and logos | — | — | One per entrance and one per window | Above entrances or windows | — | §27-901.9.1 |
| Ground Sign (Mixed Use) | 15 ft | 50 sq ft | — | 5 ft from ROW | One per street front | Setback at least 5 ft from public right-of-way | — | §27-901.9.2.E |
| Pole Sign (Mixed Use) | 15 ft | 50 sq ft | — | 8 ft from ROW | One per property | Setback at least 8 ft from public right-of-way | — | §27-901.9.5, A-C |
| Projecting/Hanging Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | One per occupancy per frontage | Per frontage with public entrance | — | §27-901.9.6 |
| Wall Sign (Mixed Use) | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | One per street front | On building wall | — | §27-901.9.7.D |
| Menu Board Sign (Drive-thru) | 8 ft | 50 sq ft | — | — | Two per establishment | On lot at drive-thru | — | §27-901.9.4 |
| Marquee Sign (Mixed Use) | — | 25% of surface area for lettering/logo | — | — | One per primary entrance | Above primary public entrance | — | §27-901.9.3 |
| Sandwich Board Sign (Mixed Use) | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | One per occupancy | Sidewalk (adjacent to operating business) | — | §27-901.10.1.C |

## Prohibited signs in East McKeesport Borough

- No sign shall be constructed, erected, moved, enlarged, altered, illuminated, or displayed unless in accordance with the ordinance provisions.
- No sign may be constructed or erected that does not conform to the International Building Code and other applicable local ordinances.
- No sign shall show evidence of deterioration including peeling, rust, dirt, fading, discoloration or holes.
- No sign shall be unlawfully installed, erected or maintained in violation of the ordinance.
- No sign other than an official traffic sign or similar sign shall be erected within two feet of street lines or within any public way, unless specifically authorized.
- No sign shall be attached to any utility pole, light standard, street tree, or any other public facility located within the public right-of-way.
- No sign or portion thereof shall extend beyond the roof of a building.
- No sign or sign structure shall be erected at a street intersection in such a manner as to obstruct vision or where it may interfere with, obstruct the view of or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device.
- No sign shall include statements, words or pictures considered to be vulgar, obscene or pornographic.
- No sign shall be illuminated between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., unless the establishment displaying the sign is open for business during those hours.
- No sign shall emit more than 0.2 foot-candles of light at any property line.
- The following specific sign types are prohibited: abandoned signs, banners/balloons/streamers (except as temporarily authorized), beacon light signs, portable signs (except as temporarily authorized), under canopy signs, off-premise signs advertising goods/services not sold or produced on site, signs on vacant lots (except as authorized), signs painted on brick, signs mimicking traffic/emergency signals, signs obstructing official traffic signage or driver’s view, unauthorized vehicle/trailer signs, signs attached to trees/fences/poles/standpipes/gutter drains/fire escapes (except governmental warnings), swinging signs, illuminated sandwich board signs, and signs using language or character reflecting traffic signage.

## Signs exempt from permit in East McKeesport Borough

- Flag or emblem of a government, political, civic, philanthropic, educational, or religious organization displayed on private property.
- Religious symbols and seasonal decorations within the appropriate public holiday season.
- Signs placed by governmental body, including but not limited to promotional activities, traffic or directional devices, legal notices and warnings, instructional regulatory signs, and official notices placed by a court, public officers and/or employees.
- Incidental signs up to five square feet displayed inside a window of a commercial establishment to advertise special sales, credit cards accepted, or required by law or ordinance.
- No trespassing signs.
- Directional, warning or information signs authorized by federal, state, or municipal governments.
- Directional signs for hospitals, fire, schools, libraries, churches, and other similar occupancies.
- Address signs and nameplates, up to two square feet for residential principal uses and up to four square feet for nonresidential principal uses.
- Political signs, real estate signs, construction/contractor signs, and on-site directional/parking signs as provided in § 27-901.11, provided they comply with area and placement restrictions—permit not required.
- All exempt signs, while not requiring a permit, must still be erected and maintained in a safe manner and must comply with all other applicable provisions of the ordinance.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All sign applicants must apply for a sign permit unless specifically exempted; the application must include detailed information including engineering if required by the International Building Code.
- A permit is required for the replacement, enlargement, relocation, or structural alteration of any existing sign. However, changes to copy, face, colors, or display do not require a permit if there is no structural change.
- No sign permit application shall be approved if there are outstanding building code violations or unpaid municipal fees at the proposed sign location.
- Any sign permit application not approved by the code official may be appealed to the Zoning Board of the Borough of East McKeesport within 21 days.
- All applications for sign permits for signage within a multiple-occupancy (nonresidential group) development complex shall comply with the ordinance provisions (property owners or groups may allot signage among tenants), indicating permit review for group sign plans.
- While there is no explicit mention of a 'Master Sign Plan' requirement by name, for nonresidential group developments (including shopping centers), sign allocation among tenants and adherence to cumulative maximums is required, effectively functioning as a sign plan provision.

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

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