# Sign Regulations in Etna Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Etna Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/etna-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/35088108#35088108)

## At a glance

Etna Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 21 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the Nonresidential District, All Others zoning district are capped at 12 feet; not to exceed the height of the lowest roofline tall and 12 square feet, with a May be placed no closer than 20 feet to adjacent highway right-of-way (§615-23F(2)) setback (Sec. §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23C; §615-23E). Most commercial signs in Etna Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 3 | 12 feet; not to exceed the height of the lowest roofline | 12 square feet | — |
| Nonresidential District, All Others | 10 | 12 feet; not to exceed the height of the lowest roofline | 18 square feet | — |
| C1 District | 10 | 12 feet; not to exceed height of lowest roofline | 18 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 11 | 10 feet | 32 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Nonresidential District, All Others

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 12 feet; not to exceed the height of the lowest roofline | 12 square feet | — | May be placed no closer than 20 feet to adjacent highway right-of-way (§615-23F(2)) | Only one such sign per property, unless multi-street frontage | On property of principal use; not in public right-of-way unless required by government. | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23C; §615-23E |
| Wall Sign | — | N/A, see formula and 15% of wall area cap | Shall not exceed width of front of building; not protrude more than 18 inches | — | 1 wall and 1 projecting or 1 wall and 1 awning per building wall | Front face of building only, except if entrance is on side/rear or corner lot. | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23E(4)(f); §615-23C; §615-23L(2) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 8 square feet per side | — | — | 1 projecting or 1 awning | Projecting from building, must meet clearance | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B |
| Awning Sign | — | 18 square feet | — | — | 1 ground and 1 awning or 1 wall and 1 awning | On awning, projecting from wall | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23E(4)(i) |
| Window Sign | — | If illuminated, up to 16 sq ft or grouped to maximum 16 sq ft; any larger considered wall sign | — | — | 2 at street level, 2 at upper level | Window; illuminated window signs only allowed on ground floor and below 10 feet above grade | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23H(3)(a) |
| Door Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per door (street and upper level) | On or by door | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B |
| Historic Tablet | — | 1.5 square feet | — | — | 1 per street facade | On or near structure | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23I |
| Portable Advertising Sign | 4 feet | 15 square feet (including both sides) | — | — | 1 per storefront | Accessory to nonresidential principal use, not in sidewalk. If there is a front yard or parking lot, between building and sidewalk. Must allow 5 feet of sidewalk clear. | — | §615-23J(1)-(2) |

### C1 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 12 feet; not to exceed height of lowest roofline | 12 square feet | — | No ground signs in the front yard if principal building is closer than 25 feet to the right-of-way (see above) | One per property unless multi-street frontage | May NOT be permitted in the front yard between the front lot line and the front facade of the principal building if said building is closer than 25 feet to the right-of-way | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23G(7) |
| Wall Sign | — | Up to 15% of building wall (including windows/doors) | Shall not exceed width of building's front; not protrude more than 18 inches | — | 1 wall and 1 projecting or 1 wall and 1 awning per building wall adjacent to a right-of-way | Front face only (except for entrances on side or rear or corner lots) | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23E(4)(f); §615-23L(2) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 8 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 projecting or 1 awning | Projecting from building | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B |
| Awning Sign | — | 18 square feet | — | — | 1 ground and 1 awning or 1 wall and 1 awning | On awning | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23E(4)(i) |
| Window Sign | — | Illuminated max 16 sq ft (total for all illuminated window signs); any group larger is counted as a wall sign | — | — | 2 at street level, 2 at upper level | Only on ground floor, not more than 10 feet above grade, for illuminated signs. | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23H(3)(a) |
| Door Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per location (street and upper) | On or by door | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B |
| Historic Tablet | — | 1.5 square feet | — | — | 1 per street facade | On or near structure | — | §615-23H(1)/(2) Table A/B; §615-23I |
| Portable Advertising Sign | 4 feet | 15 square feet (including both sides) | — | — | 1 per storefront | Accessory to nonresidential principal use, not on sidewalk. With front yard/parking lot, between building and sidewalk; must allow 5 feet sidewalk clear. | — | §615-23J(1)-(2) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Legal/Lot Notice Sign | — | 2 square feet (for private signs); per law if government | — | — | No explicit limit, but subject to law and not constituting a public safety hazard | On lot or public property per law | — | §615-23I(1)(a) |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential Use) | — | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | — | §615-23K(2)(a) |
| Real Estate Sign (Nonresidential Use) | — | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | — | §615-23K(2)(a) |
| Development Sign (Residential Use) | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | — | §615-23K(2)(b) |
| Development Sign (Nonresidential Use) | 10 feet | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | — | §615-23K(2)(b) |
| Construction Sign | — | 32 square feet (each) | — | — | 2 per lot | On lot | — | §615-23K(2)(c) |
| Temporary Event/Display Sign | — | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot, on principal structure, or in right-of-way with restrictions | — | §615-23K(2)(d) |
| Political Sign | — | 16 square feet per side | — | — | — | On lot, with owner permission | — | §615-23K(2)(e) |

## Prohibited signs in Etna Borough

- It is unlawful to distribute, throw, or deposit any handbills, dodgers or other advertising devices in, into or upon any of the streets, alleys, sidewalks, yards or doorways of residences, except newspapers, United States Mail, or material handed to someone willing to receive it.
- It is unlawful to place or attach any posters, signs, cards or advertising matter whatsoever upon poles or elsewhere upon any buildings or property owned or occupied by the Borough or within the rights-of-way of streets, roads, and public ways, except signs erected by or required to be erected by a governmental body.
- No person shall willfully or maliciously destroy, remove, deface, obliterate or cover up any lamp, flare, warning sign or barricade erected by the authorities or permitted work crews as a warning of danger.
- No sign shall be pasted, stapled or otherwise attached to public utility poles, trees or official traffic control devices, or painted on or attached to a tree, stone, cliff, or other natural object.
- No sign shall be placed on a public lot or public right-of-way, unless erected by a governmental body or unless required and/or approved to be so located by order of a governmental body.
- No sign to be displayed on a vehicle parked and visible from a public right-of-way unless used for normal day-to-day operation of a business on the premises (no use of vehicle signs to circumvent sign limits).
- No sign shall be permitted to hang from or be placed over a second sign, except as specified for marquees/canopies.
- Wheeled signs shall not be located on a property abutting any street within the Borough.
- Banners and pennants, other than those for temporary events or authorized by the ordinance, are prohibited.
- Signs on trees, utility poles, or official traffic control devices are prohibited.
- Signs on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers parked in a way that their apparent purpose is to advertise from a public or private lot (except for temporary business use, maintenance, repair, loading, unloading, or rendering a service) are prohibited.
- Any sign that obstructs free ingress to or egress from doors, fire escapes, operable windows or denies access to them, or is attached to a fire escape, is prohibited.
- Signs that block the vision of drivers or obstruct or detract from visibility or effectiveness of traffic signs or control devices, or imitate them, or use misleading words, are prohibited.
- No sign may state or imply a lot may be used for any purpose not permitted under the ordinance.
- Temporary event/display signs placed on public property are prohibited without the consent of the governing body.
- Damaged signs not repaired within required timeframes or those posing imminent danger must be repaired or removed immediately.
- Sign fonts and logos shall not be legible from the rear of the sign.
- Signs which have become nonconforming by reason of their absolute prohibition must be removed within five years of enactment.

## Signs exempt from permit in Etna Borough

- Signs erected by a governmental agency.
- Construction signs, development signs, legal and/or lot notice signs, real estate signs, political signs, and holiday decorations are exempt from zoning permit requirements, so long as they comply with the ordinance.
- Legal and/or lot notice signs (e.g., 'no trespassing,' 'private property'), governmental agency traffic or safety signs, and such service signs are permitted in all districts and do not count against permitted signage allotment.
- Commemorative plaques placed by a recognized government agency are exempt.
- National, state or municipal flags of any size are permitted in all zoning districts.
- Holiday decorations are exempt from most provisions except where they cause glare, traffic safety interference, or public safety hazards.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A zoning permit application is required for installation, erection, exhibition, alteration, relocation, or change of any sign, except for specifically exempted types.
- The zoning permit application must include a detailed, to-scale drawing indicating type, size, site plan with location, building elevations, sign dimensions, height, grade base, materials, ground connections, color, and illumination details.
- For new construction, change of tenant, or changes to materials/structure/lighting mechanisms, a zoning permit is required.
- A building permit is required for any and all commercial sign installation or repair of any kind, including banners.
- A zoning permit (and building permit for commercial signs) is required for all proposed signs or modifications to existing signs.
- When signs become nonconforming due to dimensional issues, a zoning permit is required at the time of replacement or rebuilding, and the sign must be brought into conformity.
- Permit issuance is subject to compliance with the ordinance and payment of required fees.
- Failure to conform to permit conditions renders the permit null and void.
- Sign types, sizes, numbers, and placements must comply with the regulations, and the permit application is the mechanism for review and compliance.

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

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