# Sign Regulations in Hamburg Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Hamburg Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/hamburg-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/27616780#27616780)

## At a glance

Hamburg Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 24 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Business Sign (Sale or Rental of Premises)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 6 sq ft (Sec. § 27-510.3.E.(2)(a)[3]). Most commercial signs in Hamburg Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | — | 60 sq ft | — |
| Residential Districts (MDR-1, MDR-2) | 4 | — | Aggregate <= 25% window area | — |
| Commercial and Industrial Districts (VC, BD, IPR) | 5 | — | 160 sq ft (unless conditional use granted by Borough Council for >1 acre parcels) | — |
| VC Village Center, BD Business Development | 3 | — | Aggregate <= 25% window area | — |
| Institutional/Public/Recreational District (IPR District) | 3 | — | 160 sq ft (unless conditional use granted for >1 acre) | — |
| BD District (within 300 feet of Route 61 right-of-way) | 2 | 75 ft above road surface | 1200 sq ft per face (embellishments up to 15% max) | — |
| MDR-1, MDR-2 | 4 | — | Aggregate <= 25% window area | — |
| VC Village Center | 5 | — | 160 sq ft (over 1 acre, more by conditional use) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Official Traffic or Directional Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As required by authority | — | § 27-510.3.E.(2)(a)[1] |
| Temporary Sign (Civic, Philanthropic, Educational, Religious Event) | — | 60 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 27-510.3.E.(2)(a)[2] |
| Business Sign (Sale or Rental of Premises) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On premises of sale or rental | — | § 27-510.3.E.(2)(a)[3] |
| Temporary Contractor/Developer Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | Premises where work is being performed | — | § 27-510.3.E.(2)(a)[4] |
| Window Sign (General Regulations) | — | Aggregate <= 25% of window area | — | — | — | Window (permitted for any nonresidential use in residential zones or for all commercial and industrial districts) | — | § 27-510.10.F |
| Menu Board Sign | — | 5 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 27-510.10.G |

### Residential Districts (MDR-1, MDR-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Home Occupation or Name Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per permitted use | Fixed flat on main wall of building | — | § 27-510.3.E.(2)(b)[1] |
| Identification/Bulletin/Announcement Board (Non-dwelling Use) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On same lot as principal use, for schools, churches, clubs, etc. | — | § 27-510.3.E.(2)(b)[2] |
| Temporary Sign (Special Promotions/Events/Grand Openings) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Per street frontage | — | § 27-510.7 |
| Window Sign (Residential District, Nonresidential Use) | — | Aggregate <= 25% window area | — | — | — | Window | — | § 27-510.10.F |

### Commercial and Industrial Districts (VC, BD, IPR)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business or Commercial Sign | — | 160 sq ft (unless conditional use granted by Borough Council for >1 acre parcels) | — | — | — | On the same lot as use to which it relates | — | § 27-510.3.E.(2)(c)[1] |
| Special Temporary Promotional Device (Banners, Pennants, etc) | — | — | — | — | — | On lot as use to which it relates | — | § 27-510.3.E.(2)(c)[2] |
| Temporary Sign (Special Promotions/Events/Grand Openings, Commercial/Industrial) | — | 160 sq ft (per street front) | — | — | 1 per street front | One per street front | — | § 27-510.7 |
| Portable Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Property in VC or BD only | — | § 27-510.9 |
| Window Sign (Commercial/Industrial) | — | Aggregate <= 25% window area | — | — | — | Window | — | § 27-510.10.F |

## Prohibited signs in Hamburg Borough

- No person shall destroy, remove, deface, obliterate or cover up any lamp, sign or barricade erected as a warning of danger by the authorities of the Borough or by any person doing work by permission of the authorities of the Borough.
- No sign hereafter erected shall fail to conform to the provisions of this Part and the provisions of the International Building Code and any other applicable ordinance.
- No sign other than an official traffic sign or similar sign shall be erected within two feet of the lines of any street, or within any public way, unless authorized.
- No sign or sign structure shall be erected at the intersection of any street (including driveways) in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision, or where it may interfere with or obstruct the view of or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device.
- No sign shall be permitted which is posted, stapled or otherwise attached to public utility poles or trees within the sidewalk line.
- No sign shall be located within eight feet of any side property line nor be located within the sidewalk line.
- No attached sign shall be erected upon the roof of a building nor extend above the height of the building.
- No freestanding sign may project past the sidewalk line or the setback/building reserve line, whichever is more restrictive.
- No sign shall be permitted that is illuminated with intermittent, flashing or animated types of lighting.
- Signs which blink, flash, or are animated by lighting in any fashion that would cause the signs to appear as traffic safety signs and lights, or municipal vehicle warnings from a distance, or present a nuisance to the surrounding environment.
- 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 portable signs except as allowed for temporary signs (and sidewalk sandwich signs with restrictions).
- No sign attached to, or placed on, a vehicle or trailer parked on public or private property, unless the vehicle/trailer is not used primarily for sign display and the sign is an integral part of the vehicle and it is in use and registered as a vehicle.
- No balloons, streamers, or pinwheels except those temporarily displayed as part of a special sale or promotion for no more than 20 days per year.
- Roof signs are not permitted.
- Under canopy signs are not permitted.
- No sign may be erected, maintained or repaired from a portion of a limited access highway right-of-way, nor may a vehicle be used in this area for this purpose.
- Vegetation located in the highway right-of-way may not be destroyed, damaged, moved or disturbed in maintaining, repairing or erecting a sign.
- It is unlawful for any person to remove without authorization any sign or notice posted in accordance with these provisions.
- No sign shall be structurally altered, enlarged or relocated except in conformity to the ordinance and only with a proper permit, if required.

## Signs exempt from permit in Hamburg Borough

- Official notices authorized by a court, public body or public safety official.
- Directional, warning or information signs authorized by federal, state or municipal governments, and community bulletin boards.
- Memorial plaques, building identification signs and building cornerstones when cut or carved into a masonry surface or when made of noncombustible material and made an integral part of the building or structure.
- The flag of a government or noncommercial institution, such as a school.
- Religious symbols and seasonal decorations within the appropriate public holiday season.
- Works of line art displayed in conjunction with a commercial enterprise where the enterprise does not receive direct commercial gain.
- Street address signs and combination nameplate and street address signs that contain no advertising copy and which do not exceed six square feet in area.
- No sign shall be exempt from traffic visibility requirements in §27-510(3)(D).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs erected or maintained within the jurisdiction require a permit from the Zoning Officer, unless specifically exempted.
- Permit applications must include construction documents showing the dimensions, materials, and required construction details, and must be accompanied by the written consent of the owner or lessee of the premises and, when applicable, engineering calculations by a registered professional.
- No sign shall be structurally altered, enlarged, or relocated without a new permit.
- For murals, prior approval from the Borough Council at a public meeting is required. The mural application must be submitted in writing, include a rendering and other details, and is subject to Borough Council review and possible public comment.
- Conditional use approval from Borough Council is required for certain alterations or replacements of legal nonconforming signs and for business/commercial sign size increases on properties greater than one acre.
- Permit applications for signs must include property owner consent, scale drawings with location and content, and the appropriate fee.
- A zoning/sign permit is required for all regulated signs, including official and directional signs, except those specifically exempted.
- Portable signs require a permit before being displayed.
- Abandoned, unsafe, or nonconforming signs must be removed or brought into compliance following notice from the Zoning or Code Officer, or the officers may remove them at the owner's expense.
- If a sign is removed or damaged and replaced, the replacement must meet current code requirements, potentially subject to conditional approval.
- There is no reference to a master sign plan or formal sign plan submittal requirement for multi-tenant or multiple sign developments, but permit applications require detailed site/location drawings and documentation.

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

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