# Sign Regulations in Fairfield Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Fairfield Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/fairfield-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/45604717#45604717)

## At a glance

Fairfield Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 26 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Principal Sign (Freestanding)s in the Highway Commercial (HC) zoning district are capped at 15 ft tall and 20 sq ft (one side); 40 sq ft (total) (Sec. § 14-1401.F.1). Most commercial signs in Fairfield Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 10 ft | 50 sq ft (one side); 100 sq ft (all sides) | — |
| Low Density Residential (LR), Moderate Density Residential (MR) | 4 | 6 ft (unless wall or projecting sign) | 15 sq ft (one side); 30 sq ft (total) | — |
| Highway Commercial (HC) | 5 | 15 ft | 50 sq ft (one side); 100 sq ft (total) | — |
| Village Core (VC) | 5 | Projecting sign: max 12 ft; minimum 8 ft clearance above public walkways | 24 sq ft | — |
| Commercial Industrial (CI) | 5 | 75% of height of wall where sign is attached | 100 sq ft (one side); 200 sq ft (total) | — |
| Historic District | 2 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Off-Premises Directional Sign | 10 ft | 10 sq ft (one side), 20 sq ft (total) | — | — | — | — | — | § 14-1401.D.1 |
| Institutional Sign | — | 16 sq ft (one side); 32 sq ft (all sides) | — | — | 2 per property per frontage | — | — | § 14-1401.D.2 |
| Emergency Services Sign (Freestanding) | — | 18 sq ft (one side); 36 sq ft (all sides) | — | — | 2 per property per frontage | — | — | § 14-1401.D.3 |
| Emergency Services Sign (Wall) | — | 36 sq ft | — | — | 2 per property per frontage | — | — | § 14-1401.D.3 |
| Community Welcome Sign | — | 50 sq ft (one side); 100 sq ft (all sides) | — | — | — | — | — | § 14-1401.D.4 |
| Temporary Banner Sign | — | 50 sq ft per sign face | — | — | — | — | — | § 14-1401.D.5 |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | First floor windows facing public streets. Nonresidential uses on upper floors exempted from first floor limitation. | — | § 14-1401.D.6 |

### Highway Commercial (HC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Principal Sign (Freestanding) | 15 ft | 20 sq ft (one side); 40 sq ft (total) | — | — | 1 per business per frontage | Same lot as single business | — | § 14-1401.F.1 |
| Principal Sign (Wall) | — | 24 sq ft (with 20% increase) | — | — | 1 per business per frontage | Same lot as single business | — | § 14-1401.F.1.d |
| Shopping Center Principal Sign (Freestanding) | — | 50 sq ft (one side); 100 sq ft (total) | — | >=20 ft from road ROW | 1 per shopping center | Minimum 20 ft from adjoining right-of-way. Incorporated into landscaping. | — | § 14-1401.F.2.a |
| Shopping Center Wall Sign (per establishment) | — | 30 sq ft | — | — | 1 per establishment | Each establishment in shopping center | — | § 14-1401.F.2.b |
| Accessory Window/Wall Sign (National/Regional Affiliation) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per affiliation | — | — | § 14-1401.F.3 |

### Village Core (VC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Principal Sign (Freestanding/Projecting) | Projecting sign: max 12 ft; minimum 8 ft clearance above public walkways | 12 sq ft per side (1 use), 15 sq ft per side (2 uses), 18 sq ft per side (3+); 24, 30, 36 sq ft total respectively | — | — | 1 per nonresidential use per street frontage | Street frontage or intersecting public streets | — | § 14-1401.G.1 |
| Principal Sign (Wall) | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | 1 per nonresidential use per street frontage | — | — | § 14-1401.G.1.c |
| Accessory Window/Wall Sign (National/Regional Affiliation) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per affiliation | — | — | § 14-1401.G.2 |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 ft | 8 sq ft (one side); 16 sq ft (all sides) | — | — | 1 per nonresidential use | On public sidewalk leaving min 5 ft clear | — | § 14-1401.G.3 |
| Decorative Flag | — | — | — | — | 1 per nonresidential use | Over sidewalk must have min 7 ft clearance | — | § 14-1401.G.4 |

## Prohibited signs in Fairfield Borough

- No sign shall be erected, enlarged, or relocated until a Zoning Permit has been issued by the Zoning Officer, unless specifically exempted.
- Signs may not interfere with clear sight distance regulations.
- Any sign associated with a business or organization that is defunct or no longer located on the premises is not permitted and must be removed within thirty (30) days of the cessation of use.
- No sign shall be attached to or placed on a public utility pole or tree located within any public right-of-way.
- Flashing signs are prohibited.
- Flashing and/or rotating lights are prohibited.
- Signs using the words 'stop,' 'caution,' or 'danger,' or using red, yellow, and/or green lights resembling traffic signals, or that resemble traffic control signs in terms of size, shape, or color, are prohibited.
- Revolving, rotating, wind or blown air activated, or otherwise moving signs are prohibited.
- Animated signs are prohibited.
- Changeable copy signs are prohibited except when copy is changed manually.
- Electronic Message Center signs are prohibited.
- Portable signs, including those mounted on trailers, vehicles, temporary bases, or similar devices, are prohibited. Vehicles painted or decorated to display advertising and parked in a visible location are considered moveable signs and are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Streamers, pennants, inflatable, or lighter-than-air signs are prohibited.
- Neon signs or signs made from neon flux tubes (flexible neon lights) are prohibited.
- No sign or permanent external advertising display may be erected, altered, or used in the historic district except for advertising informing about service, business, occupation, or profession on the property on which the sign appears, and only after HARB approval.

## Signs exempt from permit in Fairfield Borough

- Official street and traffic signs and any other signs required by law are exempt from permitting requirements.
- Trespassing signs, signs indicating private ownership of roads and/or property, and similar signs are exempt from permitting if spaced at intervals of no less than 100 feet and not exceeding two square feet in area.
- Temporary, non-illuminated real estate signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises are exempt from permitting if: maximum area per side does not exceed six square feet, total area does not exceed twelve square feet, not more than one sign per property, and removed within five business days of sale/rental.
- Temporary, non-illuminated signs of contractors, painters, or similar artisans, erected on the premises where work is being performed, are exempt from permitting if: maximum area per side does not exceed eight square feet, total area not exceeding sixteen square feet, only one such sign per contractor per property, and removed within one day of completion.
- Temporary, non-illuminated yard or garage sale signs are exempt from permitting if: displayed for no more than forty-eight hours per calendar month, total area not exceeding four square feet, and not more than two signs per event.
- Freestanding signs designating entrances and exits to commercial and industrial establishments are exempt from permitting if: illumination is limited to external, and area per side does not exceed four square feet unless otherwise regulated.
- Legal notices, identification, informational, or directional signs erected or required by governmental bodies are exempt from permitting.
- Official street address signs, if in accordance with requirements of § 14-1401.A.5, are exempt from permitting.
- Historical markers authorized by HARB (within the historic district) are not considered signs and are exempt as long as they meet HARB's requirements.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs (unless exempt under § 14-1401.B) require a Zoning Permit; applications must include scale drawings specifying dimensions, materials, illumination, letter sizes, colors, location, means of installation, and other relevant information.
- The initial application of window signs on a property requires a Zoning Permit; the application must include a calculation of maximum window sign area for each window. Once approved, further permitting is not required for additional window signs or replacements up to the maximum.
- A landscaping sketch must accompany the sign permit application for residential development entrance signs and for any free-standing sign proposed for a commercial use in operation prior to the ordinance.
- Within the VC District (Village Core), the Fairfield Borough Historic and Architectural Review Board (HARB) must review the design and appearance of all principal signs for a certificate of appropriateness prior to issuance of a Zoning Permit.
- In the historic district, no sign or permanent external advertising display may be erected or altered until application has been reviewed by HARB for conformity with historic appearance and a permit granted.
- Approval of signs may be subject to Borough Planning Commission and Borough Council per § 13-516.

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

---

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