# Sign Regulations in Falls Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Falls Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/falls-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/7107019#7107019)

## At a glance

Falls Township, Pennsylvania regulates 32 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Off-Premises Signs in the General Commercial Districts, Industrial Districts zoning district are capped at 30 ft tall and See HI regulations and § 209-45H, with a Height of sign or 15 ft from ROW; 25 ft from property line; 50 ft from any building; 1,000 ft from another off-premises sign, etc. setback (Sec. § 209-45Q(12); § 209-45H). Most commercial signs in Falls 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 | 3 | — | — | — |
| Heavy Industrial District (HI) | 1 | 30 ft | 60 sq ft | — |
| Residential Districts | 6 | 8 ft (freestanding) | 16 sq ft | — |
| Nonresidential Districts | 3 | 8 ft (freestanding) | 16 sq ft | — |
| Farming and Mining District, Open Space Preservation District | 7 | 20 ft | See § 209-45I and § 209-45J | — |
| Institutional Districts | 5 | 10 ft | 200 sq ft | — |
| Neighborhood Commercial District | 5 | Eaveline or bottom of 2nd story window sill | 150 sq ft (total on one marquee structure) | — |
| General Commercial Districts, Industrial Districts | 8 | 30 ft | See HI regulations and § 209-45H | — |
| Historic District | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Limited Duration Sign (Large) | 8 ft (freestanding) | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 | One per property if over 5 acres/400 ft frontage or >10,000 sq ft floor area | — | § 209-45I(2)(a) |
| Limited Duration Sign (Small) | 6 ft (freestanding) | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 | One per property | — | § 209-45I(2)(b) |
| Temporary Sign (Large and Small) | Large: 8 ft (freestanding); banner max 24 ft; Small: 6 ft | Large: 16 sq ft (freestanding, window, wall); Large banner: 32 sq ft; Small: 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 Large, 1 Small per lot (see area/size requirements for exceptions) | As allowed per lot (see above) | — | § 209-45J(3)(b)-(4) |
| Freestanding Sign (Home Occupation) | 6 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | One per lot for home occupations. | — | § 209-45N(3)(a) |
| Wall/Projecting Sign (Home Occupation) | Eaveline or bottom of second story window sill | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | One per lot for home occupation | — | § 209-45N(3)(b) |
| Freestanding Sign (Residential Development) | 8 ft | 15 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | One per street frontage for developments/apartment buildings >10 units. | — | § 209-45N(4) |

### Farming and Mining District, Open Space Preservation District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Limited Duration and Temporary Signs | — | See § 209-45I and § 209-45J | — | — | — | Anywhere, subject to duration and size requirements from relevant sections. | — | § 209-45M(1)-(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (Parks/Open Space Entrance) | 10 ft | 24 sq ft per sign face | — | — | 1 per street access | One per street access to park/open space | — | § 209-45M(4)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign (Park Interior) | 8 ft | 10 sq ft | — | — | As needed | Interior signs for wayfinding/rules. | — | § 209-45M(4)(b) |
| Scoreboard (Freestanding, Park) | 20 ft | 200 sq ft | — | — | 1 per playing field | One per playing field, oriented to recreation area. | — | § 209-45M(4)(c) |
| Freestanding Sign (Nonresidential Use) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft per sign face | — | — | 2 per lot max | At each street access (max 2 per lot) | — | § 209-45M(5) |
| Wall or Projecting Sign (Nonresidential Use) | Eaveline or bottom of second story window sill | 20 sq ft per sign face | — | — | 2 per tenant max | One per tenant per frontage, max 2 per tenant. | — | § 209-45M(6) |
| Window Sign (Nonresidential Use) | — | 15% of window area | — | — | — | Any window | — | § 209-45M(7) |

### General Commercial Districts, Industrial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Nonresidential) | Eaveline | 32 sq ft per sign | — | — | 1 per tenant per street frontage (max 2 per tenant) | 1 per tenant per street frontage (max 2 per tenant); extra sign facing parking lot entrance | — | § 209-45Q(5) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign (Nonresidential) | Eaveline | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 209-45Q(6) |
| Projecting Sign (Nonresidential) | Eaveline | 20 sq ft per sign face | — | — | — | 1 per ground floor establishment, 1 per entrance for non-ground floor tenants | — | § 209-45Q(7) |
| Window Sign (Nonresidential) | — | Permanent: 25% window area; All: 35% window area | — | — | — | Windows of a single storefront | — | § 209-45Q(8) |
| Marquee Sign (Nonresidential) | Eaveline | 200 sq ft (per structure) | — | — | 1 per building | 1 per building | — | § 209-45Q(9) |
| Freestanding Sign (Nonresidential) | 20 ft | 50 sq ft plus 10 sq ft per tenant up to 100 sq ft | — | — | 2 per lot max (+ fuel/drive-thru exceptions) | 1 per street frontage, up to 2 per lot; extra signs for fuel/drive-thru (see additional requirements) | — | § 209-45Q(10) |
| Upper-level Building Identification Sign | 10 ft (not above eaveline) | 200 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building | Only on top floor of building at least 3 stories high; 1 per building. | — | § 209-45Q(11) |
| Off-Premises Sign | 30 ft | See HI regulations and § 209-45H | — | Height of sign or 15 ft from ROW; 25 ft from property line; 50 ft from any building; 1,000 ft from another off-premises sign, etc. | 1 per lot | Only in HI district and as allowed, must comply with § 209-45H. | — | § 209-45Q(12); § 209-45H |

## Prohibited signs in Falls Township

- It is unlawful to obscure, remove, deface, mutilate or destroy posted no-smoking signs.
- Abandoned signs are prohibited.
- Snipe signs are prohibited (except as otherwise allowed by state and utility regulations; signs attached to utility poles must conform to applicable regulations).
- Vehicular signs are prohibited, except for identification or advertising on vehicles primarily and actively used for business purposes and/or personal transportation.
- Mechanical movement signs, including revolving signs, are prohibited.
- Pennant strings and streamers are prohibited.
- Animated signs, flashing signs, or signs that scroll or flash text or graphics are prohibited.
- Inflatable devices or balloon signs are prohibited (except for balloons used in temporary, noncommercial situations).
- Signs that imitate, resemble, interfere with, or obstruct official traffic lights, signs, or signals are prohibited.
- A sign that prevents free ingress or egress from any door, window, or fire escape, or prevents free access on a roof, is prohibited. Only safety signs may be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
- Signs that emit smoke, visible vapors, particulate matter, sound, odor, or contain open flames are prohibited.
- Reflective signs or signs containing mirrors are prohibited.
- Interactive signs are prohibited.
- Signs incorporating beacon or festoon lighting are prohibited.
- Any banner or sign suspended across a public street is prohibited (even with owner/street permission).
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs erected without the permission of the property owner are prohibited, except those authorized or required by government.
- Any sign containing information that states or implies a property may be used for a non-permitted purpose under this chapter is prohibited.
- A sign that exhibits obscene or pornographic subject matter, as determined by the Township, is prohibited.
- Any sign that promotes illegal activity is prohibited.
- No sign shall be placed in a position that endangers pedestrians, bicyclists, or traffic by obscuring the view or interfering with official signs or signals.
- No sign may occupy a sight triangle.
- Signs and their supporting structures shall maintain clearance and noninterference with all surface and underground utility and communications lines or equipment.
- No sign shall be erected, altered, repaired, or relocated without a sign permit, unless specifically exempted.
- Signs must not create glare hazardous or distracting to pedestrians, drivers, or adjacent properties.
- Illumination of temporary and portable signs is prohibited.
- Temporary signs may not be illuminated.
- Portable signs may not be illuminated.
- Illumination of street pole banners is prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Falls Township

- Official traffic signs.
- Government/regulatory signs.
- Signs inside a building or enclosed facility, not meant to be viewed from outside and located more than three feet from a window.
- Holiday and seasonal decorations.
- Personal expression signs of any type, including flags, not exceeding three square feet per side, noncommercial in nature, and not illuminated.
- Address signs: up to two signs stating address, number and/or occupant name, not including commercial advertising or other identification—limited to three square feet in residential and five square feet in nonresidential districts.
- Public signs (erected or required by government agencies/utilities including traffic, utility, safety, railroad crossing, and identification/directional signs for public facilities).
- Signs or emblems of religious, civil, philanthropic, historical or educational organizations not exceeding four square feet.
- Private drive signs: one per driveway entrance, not exceeding two square feet.
- Security and warning signs, including 'no trespassing' signs in accordance with state law: not exceeding two square feet in residential districts and five square feet in nonresidential districts (with one large sign allowed per property in nonresidential districts).
- Flags, subject to limitations on number, size, height, and location, provided they are noncommercial and not illuminated; flags up to three square feet with noncommercial messages are counted as personal expression signs.
- Legal notices.
- Vending machine signs.
- Memorial signs, public monument or historical identification signs erected by the Township, including plaque signs up to three square feet.
- Signs that are a permanent architectural feature of a building or structure, existing at the time of ordinance adoption.
- Signs advertising the crop variety growing in a field (to be removed after the growing season).
- Incidental signs, including incidental window signs.
- Directional signs not containing commercial messaging and subject to area, height, and illumination limits.
- Art and murals, provided they do not contain any commercial messaging.
- Temporary signs in accordance with temporary sign regulations (Subsection J).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required for any sign erected, altered, repaired, or relocated, unless specifically exempted in Subsection E (Signs exempt from permit requirements).
- Sign permit applications must include a site plan depicting the location(s) of proposed and existing signage, design of each sign face and structure (with dimensions, area, height, depth, color, materials, lighting, and location), building elevations (with location/size of all proposed and existing permanent signage), and photographs showing existing signs.
- For off-premises signs, plans must be certified by a licensed engineer registered in Pennsylvania and include detailed site, setback, and context information.
- All off-premises signs require submission of a site plan containing all applicable requirements of the chapter and certification of compliance with all federal, state, and local law and professional standards.
- Application for limited duration sign permit must include: a description of the sign (number, size, shape, dimensions, colors, length of display), a schematic drawing of the site (showing location in relation to buildings and streets), and number of signs on site.
- Permit application for street pole banners must include: a diagram/map of specific poles to be used, proof of banner design/dimensions, and specifications for bracket installation, if applicable.
- Historic District: No sign shall be erected or altered until reviewed and approved by the Historic Preservation Commission with issuance of a certificate of appropriateness by the Board of Supervisors; such applications require photographs, scaled drawings, site plans, and description of lighting and materials.
- For determining the status of nonconforming signs, applicants must submit information on type, area, height, setback, materials, building frontage; for off-premises signs, also the additional plan requirements found in the relevant subsection.
- Conversion of a non-message center sign to a message center sign, or addition of digital displays, requires issuance of a sign permit.
- Permits for illuminated signs will not be issued without an approved electrical permit, if required; applications for electrical permits must be filed with the sign permit application.

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

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