# Sign Regulations in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/harrisburg
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-21
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/13739537#13739537)

## At a glance

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania regulates 9 sign types across 2 zoning districts. Off-Premises Sign (Billboard)s in the IND District zoning district are capped at 40 feet above average surrounding ground level tall and 350 square feet per sign face (maximum two sign faces per structure, must be back-to-back or V-shaped with a max 5 ft opening), with a 250 ft from residential lot line, 10 ft from building/right-of-way/other lot line, 50 ft from hospital/nursing home setback (Sec. § 7-325.14.A (1)-(7) and § 7-325.14.B, C). Most commercial signs in Harrisburg require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (2 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| IND District | 1 | 40 feet above average surrounding ground level | 350 square feet per sign face (maximum two sign faces per structure, must be back-to-back or V-shaped with a max 5 ft opening) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | 4 feet | 10 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### IND District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Off-Premises Sign (Billboard) | 40 feet above average surrounding ground level | 350 square feet per sign face (maximum two sign faces per structure, must be back-to-back or V-shaped with a max 5 ft opening) | — | 250 ft from residential lot line, 10 ft from building/right-of-way/other lot line, 50 ft from hospital/nursing home | Minimum 500 ft separation from other off-premises signs | Only permitted within 250 feet of existing right-of-way of an arterial street or expressway. | — | § 7-325.14.A (1)-(7) and § 7-325.14.B, C |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Must comply with building code; can extend up to 24 inches into ROW if necessary (§ 7-325.10A(5)). | — | § 7-325.2, § 7-325.3, § 7-325.10A(5) |
| Freestanding Sign | — | — | — | 5 ft from public ROW (general); 15 ft from residential lot line (if internally illuminated) | — | Must comply with building code. General setback: minimum 5 ft from ROW; internally illuminated signs minimum 15 ft from residential lot line. | — | § 7-325.2, § 7-325.10B, 10C |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 feet | 4 square feet per face | — | — | — | Must be placed on sidewalk near business building; must not obstruct pedestrian traffic. | — | § 7-325.8A(12) |
| Identification Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | § 7-325.8A(6) |
| Directional Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 7-325.8A(4), § 7-325.10A(1) |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 10 square feet | — | — | 1 per street abutting lot | May be window, projecting, or wall sign. Freestanding sign only if lot has a front yard setback. | — | § 7-325.8A(11) |
| Political Sign | — | 10 square feet | — | — | — | Must be on private property with consent of owner. | — | § 7-325.8A(9) |
| Time and Temperature Sign | — | 10 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | § 7-325.8A(13) |

## Prohibited signs in Harrisburg

- No person, firm or corporation shall paint, daub, brand, mark, chalk, or in any manner place or cause to be placed upon the driveway or sidewalk of any public highway any bill, advertisement, notice, inscription, sign, card, or poster.
- Attaching posters, signs, placards, etc., to any public property and privately owned utility poles, including but not limited to trees, poles, monuments, and buildings, is prohibited within the City.
- It is declared a public nuisance to attach signs, posters, placards, etc., to public property or to any utility poles within the City.
- No operator of a vehicle shall attach the vehicle by chain or other means to any parking meter or official sign belonging to the City.
- No signs shall be so located or arranged that they interfere with safe sight distances for streets or driveways.
- No signs except permitted off-premises, official, political, or public service signs shall be erected on a property to which they do not relate.
- No sign shall be posted on any property or sign pole or public utility pole, unless permission has been received by the owner.
- No sign shall be stapled or nailed to a utility pole, except by an authorized utility or the City.
- Spinners, pennants or any moving object used to attract attention to a commercial use; flags and banners of more than 20 square feet per lot that contain a commercial message and that do not meet the requirements for a permitted sign are prohibited.
- Flashing, blinking, twinkling, animated or moving signs of any type are prohibited, except for time and temperature signs and signs that have a nonflashing electronically changing message.
- Signs which emit smoke, visible vapors or particles, sound or odor are prohibited.
- Signs which contain information that states or implies that a lot may be used for any purpose not permitted under the applicable provisions of this Code are prohibited.
- Signs that imitate or resemble any official traffic sign, signal or device, or that have any characteristics which are likely to confuse or distract motorists, are prohibited.
- Signs that use reflective materials to give the appearance of flashing, blinking or twinkling are prohibited.
- Signs or displays that include words or images visible from any public right-of-way that are obscene or pornographic are prohibited.
- Balloons of greater than 25 cubic feet that are tethered to the ground or a structure and are primarily intended for advertising purposes are prohibited.
- No person shall paste, glue, tack, or otherwise post any sign, placard, advertisement, or inscription in any park, nor erect or cause to be erected any sign on any public lands or highways or roads adjacent to a park, except signs and notices of events taking place therein or giving directions thereto, with the consent of the Department.

## Signs exempt from permit in Harrisburg

- Notices placed by governmental bodies are excluded from the provisions of sign posting prohibitions.
- Official or government signs, including directional, safety, and transportation signs authorized by the City, County, or State, are exempt.
- Street signs are exempt.
- Historic signs commemorating an important historic place, event, or person and specifically authorized by the City, County, or State are exempt.
- Noncommercial signs are exempt.
- Holiday decorations are exempt.
- Signs which are not visible from the public right-of-way are exempt.
- Signs which are carried are exempt.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A zoning and building permit is required before erecting, placing, rebuilding, or reconstructing any sign except those meeting the requirements of exempt (§7-325.7) and specific not-requiring-permit (§7-325.8) signs.
- A certificate of appropriateness is required before receiving a building permit to erect a sign located in a municipal historic district that is visible from the public right-of-way.
- Each sign permit application must be accompanied by a plan(s) drawn to scale indicating the proposed dimensions and location of each sign.
- Signs may be permitted subject to the approval of the Commission or City Council, as appropriate (applicable for special exceptions/historic/overlay districts as suggested by §7-517.9).

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Harrisburg, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Harrisburg+PA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-harrisburg

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