# Sign Regulations in Girard Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Girard Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/girard-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/14651859#14651859)

## At a glance

Girard Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 16 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Directional Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 4 ft tall and 6 sq ft (Sec. §425-17F(8)). Most commercial signs in Girard Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 11 | 4 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| R-1A, R-1, R-2, R-3 | 2 | 34 in (vertical); 18 in ground clearance; total structure max 52 in | 24 sq ft | — |
| Residential District (R-1A, R-1, R-2, R-3) | 2 | 34 in (vertical); 18 in ground clearance; total structure max 52 in | 24 sq ft | — |
| C-1, C-2, M-1 | 3 | 25 ft | 5 sq ft/ft width of principal structure (total for all signs) | — |
| Commercial and Manufacturing Districts (C-1, C-2, M-1) | 3 | 25 ft | 5 sq ft/ft width of principal structure (total for all signs) | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs | — | — | — | — | — | No sign may be placed in, upon or over any public right-of-way, alley or other public place, except as permitted. Not to block site distance or interfere with traffic devices. No sign on curb lawns except government signs. No use of light pole or utility pole unless designed and approved. | — | §425-17A, §425-17E |
| Temporary Sign (Civic, Philanthropic, Educational, Religious Event) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §425-17D(1)(a) |
| Real Estate Sign (For Sale/Rental) | — | — | — | — | Not more than one per frontage | On-premises; one sign per street frontage. | — | §425-17D(1)(b); §425-17F(5) |
| Contractor/Developer/Builder/Artisan Sign (Construction Sign) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises where work is being performed | — | §425-17D(1)(c); §425-17F(6) |
| Trespassing/Private Road/Fishing/Hunting | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises | — | §425-17D(1)(d) |
| Directional Sign | 4 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §425-17F(8) |
| Garage/Estate Sale Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot or parcel | On lot/parcel where sale occurs or on another with permission (cannot be in street ROW) | — | §425-17F(9) |
| Message Board/Digital Sign/Electronic Message Board | — | 2.5 ft x 7 ft (30" x 84") | — | — | 1 per lot/parcel | — | — | §425-17F(10) |

### C-1, C-2, M-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Signs (Wall, Freestanding, Projecting, etc.) | — | 5 sq ft/ft width of principal structure (total for all signs) | — | — | — | On same premises as business/industry | — | §425-17G(3)(a)[1]-[2] |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 ft | — | 20 ft | — | 1 per property | One per property | — | §425-17G(3)(a)[5] |
| Signs Projecting Over Sidewalk | — | — | — | — | — | Over sidewalk (if projecting from building) | — | §425-17G(3)(a)[3] |

### Commercial and Manufacturing Districts (C-1, C-2, M-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Signs (Wall, Freestanding, Projecting, etc.) | — | 5 sq ft/ft width of principal structure (total for all signs) | — | — | — | On same premises as business/industry | — | §425-17G(3)(a)[1]-[2] |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 ft | — | 20 ft | — | 1 per property | One per property | — | §425-17G(3)(a)[5] |
| Signs Projecting Over Sidewalk | — | — | — | — | — | Over sidewalk (if projecting from building) | — | §425-17G(3)(a)[3] |

## Prohibited signs in Girard Borough

- No sign shall be erected, altered, placed or replaced without first obtaining a zoning certificate and building permit, unless otherwise exempted.
- No sign shall be placed in, upon or over any public right-of-way, alley, or other public place, except as may be otherwise permitted.
- No light pole, utility pole, or other supporting member shall be used for the placement of any sign unless specifically designed and approved for such use.
- No sign shall be erected where it may interfere with or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal, or device.
- No sign shall be located where it causes a hazard by obstructing visibility or interfere with minimum site distance required by PENNDOT standards from access drives to a street.
- No sign, except official traffic signs and off-premises directional signs, shall hang over or be erected within the right-of-way of any street.
- No commercial vehicle acting as a sign shall be parked abutting the street, unless no other parking area is available.
- No sign shall contain any moving or animated parts, or have the appearance thereof (except digital signs, variable time/temperature signs, and electronic message boards per code).
- No wall sign shall extend above the roofline of a building.
- No sign shall be permitted within street lines (curb lawns), except those of a duly constituted governmental body.
- No signs shall contain information or advertising for any product or service not sold on the premises.
- No part of any sign shall emit noise.
- A sign shall bear no more than two faces.
- Obscene signs are prohibited. No sign shall utilize sexually explicit or suggestive language, graphics, or illustrations of specified sexual activities or anatomical areas as defined in code or by applicable law.
- Automatic changeable-copy signs may not advertise establishments or products not located on the premises of the sign.
- Flashing or oscillating signs are not permitted.
- Illumination must be stationary and constant in intensity and color.
- External light bulb fixtures shall project no colors.
- Signs may not cause illumination exceeding 1.0 footcandle at the property line.
- Lighting from signage is subject to general property lighting standards.
- No sign, unless otherwise permitted, may be a billboard, roof sign, or portable/temporary sign.
- No sign not permitted by these regulations may be erected.
- Nonconforming signs may not be altered, expanded, enlarged, or extended, and may not be changed to a digital sign.
- Nonconforming sign destroyed by more than 50% may not be rebuilt.
- No sign or structure may be erected, constructed or maintained over or across any sidewalk, with a clearance less than 10 feet above the sidewalk; projection may not exceed 2/3 the distance to the curb.
- Signs must not have more than two faces.
- No signs posted on Borough property.
- No notice, advertisement or directional sign for private sales may be placed on posts/poles used for traffic signs/signals/streetlights, or on streets, curb lawns, or sidewalks.
- It is prohibited to destroy, remove, deface, obliterate, or cover up any warning sign or barricade erected by Borough authorities or authorized persons.

## Signs exempt from permit in Girard Borough

- No permit is required for temporary signs announcing a drive or event of a civic, philanthropic, educational or religious organization, provided the sign does not exceed 32 square feet and is removed after the event.
- No permit is required for signs offering the sale or rental of the premises on which the sign is erected, subject to the limitation of one sign per property (or one per street frontage for corner lots).
- No permit is required for temporary signs of contractors, developers, architects, engineers, builders and artisans on the premises where work is being performed, not exceeding 32 square feet, and removed upon completion of work.
- No permit is required for trespassing signs, signs indicating the private nature of a road, driveway or premises, and signs controlling fishing or hunting on the premises, provided they do not exceed four square feet.
- Signs of government bodies, such as traffic signs and similar regulatory notices, are permitted within street lines (curb lawns).
- Political signs are permitted on private property with consent of the owner or occupant.
- Special temporary promotional devices, signs or displays (such as banners or pennants) are permitted in commercial districts; such outdoor signs are limited to a 30-day display period.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Each application for a sign permit must be accompanied by a scaled drawing showing the proposed design, size, character, color of letters, lines and symbols, method of illumination, exact location in relation to building and property, and construction details.
- A permit and the requisite documentation are required for any sign unless otherwise exempted.

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

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