# Sign Regulations in Kidder Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Kidder Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/kidder-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/32526731#32526731)

## At a glance

Kidder Township, Pennsylvania regulates 24 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Wall Sign (Residential Building Name/Address)s in the R-1 Residential Low Density (R-1), R-2 Residential Medium Density (R-2), R-3 Residential High Density (R-3), OS Open Space District (OS) zoning district are capped at 15 ft tall and 4 sq ft, with a Cannot be within 15 ft of vehicular access to public roadway. setback (Sec. §180-159A). Most commercial signs in Kidder Township 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 | 6 | 15 ft | Max 50% of surface area of canopy face | — |
| R-1 Residential Low Density (R-1), R-2 Residential Medium Density (R-2), R-3 Residential High Density (R-3), OS Open Space District (OS) | 6 | 15 ft | 32 sq ft (with 20% bonus if wood relief per 180-157K) | — |
| R/RC Recreation/Resort Commercial District (R/RC), VC Village Commercial District (VC), C Commercial District (C), BD/LI Business Development/Light Industrial District (BD/LI) | 10 | 30 ft | 150 sq ft per street frontage | — |
| C-Commercial District (C), BD/LI-Business Development/Light Industrial District (BD/LI) | 1 | 15 ft | 240 sq ft | — |
| VC Village Commercial District (VC), C Commercial District (C), R/RC Recreation/Resort Commercial District (R/RC) | 1 | — | See sign replaced; counts as one permitted sign. | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (General) | — | — | — | No part may be erected or maintained in the public right-of-way. | — | Attached parallel to wall of building. | — | §180-157, §180-156 |
| Freestanding Sign (General) | — | — | — | No part may be erected or maintained in the public right-of-way. | — | Required to be in landscaped area of not less than 1 sq ft of landscaping per sq ft of sign area, minimum 50 sq ft. | — | §180-157I, §180-156 |
| Awning and Canopy Sign (Building) | Limited to height of rooftop or parapet wall of building. | — | — | May not extend into required side or rear setback. | — | On or integrated into awning/canopy on building. | — | §180-157G |
| Canopy Sign (Fuel Service Island) | — | Max 50% of surface area of canopy face | — | — | One per face | Attached to face of canopy over fuel service islands. | — | §180-157G(2) |
| Window Sign (Business use) | — | — | — | — | — | On or inside business windows. | — | §180-157H |
| Noncommercial Free Speech Sign | 15 ft | — | — | — | — | — | — | §180-157J |

### R-1 Residential Low Density (R-1), R-2 Residential Medium Density (R-2), R-3 Residential High Density (R-3), OS Open Space District (OS)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Residential Building Name/Address) | 15 ft | 4 sq ft | — | Cannot be within 15 ft of vehicular access to public roadway. | Max 1 per building (plus 1 per additional street) | On/at building, cannot be within 15 ft of vehicular access to public roadway | — | §180-159A |
| Ground Sign (Residential Building Name/Address) | 5 ft | 4 sq ft | — | Cannot be within 15 ft of vehicular access to public roadway. | Max 1 per building (plus 1 per additional street) | Ground mounted, not within 15 ft of vehicular access | — | §180-159A |
| Ground Sign (Residential Development Road Entrance Sign) | 15 ft | 32 sq ft (with 20% bonus if wood relief per 180-157K) | — | May be in setback but not within 15 ft of vehicular access to public road. | Max 2 per access point | At entrance to development. May be located in setback but not within 15 ft of vehicular access. | — | §180-159B |
| Home Occupation Sign | 15 ft | 4 sq ft per face | — | — | One per home occupation | — | — | §180-159C |
| Freestanding Sign (Nonresidential Use) | 8 ft | 20 sq ft | — | — | One per lot | — | — | §180-160A(1), B(1) |
| Wall Sign (Nonresidential Use) | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | One per principal building | — | — | §180-160A(2), B(2) |

### R/RC Recreation/Resort Commercial District (R/RC), VC Village Commercial District (VC), C Commercial District (C), BD/LI Business Development/Light Industrial District (BD/LI)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Individual Business) | 30 ft | 64 sq ft max (may add 20% if wood relief) | — | — | One per lot (corner lots: one per street frontage) | On premises of individual business. | — | §180-161A(3)(a), (2)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Individual Business) | — | 50 sq ft | — | — | One per wall | On wall(s) of business. | — | §180-161A(3)(b), (2)(b) |
| Shingle Sign (Individual Business Entrance) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per separate entrance | At business entrance, centered under overhang. | — | §180-161G |
| A-Frame or Sandwich Board Sign | 4 ft | 8 sq ft per face | 30 inches | — | One per business | On premises, not impeding traffic/doorways. | — | §180-161H |
| Freestanding Sign (Shopping Center/Multiple-Occupant Development) | 30 ft | 150 sq ft per street frontage | — | — | One per street frontage | On premises of development. | — | §180-161B(1) |
| Wall Sign (Shopping Center/Multiple-Occupant Development) | Not above parapet line of wall to which affixed | 35 sq ft | — | — | One per principal occupant per wall | On outermost wall of each principal occupant. | — | §180-161B(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (Business Subdivision Road Entrance) | 30 ft | 64 sq ft | — | May be in setback but not within 15 ft of vehicular access to public road. | Max 2 per access | At subdivision entrance. | — | §180-161C |
| Retail Fuel Sales Price Sign | — | No larger than needed to encompass maximum letter size (Max 24 in/15 in/12 in letter height for 2/3/4 products respectively). | Sign may not exceed business identification sign width. | — | Max one per establishment | Below business identification sign. | — | §180-161E |

## Prohibited signs in Kidder Township

- All signs not expressly permitted or exempted under this article from regulation are prohibited.
- A-frame or sandwich board signs, and sidewalk or curb signs except as specifically allowed.
- Strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background (except those exempt under exemptions), banners, pennants, streamers, balloons, and other inflatable figures, except as a temporary sign as provided for in the relevant section.
- Balloons of greater than 25 cubic feet that are tethered to the ground or a structure for periods of over a day and that are primarily intended for advertising purposes.
- Signs which flash, revolve, rotate, swing, undulate, or move by any means, or otherwise attract attention through the movement or flashing of parts, including automatic, electronically controlled copy changes (except as otherwise specifically permitted), or through the impression of movement or flashing except for permitted time and temperature indicators and flags.
- Signs which use a mirror or similar device to attract attention by reflecting images or otherwise reflecting light.
- Portable and wheeled signs.
- Signs which are attached or otherwise affixed to a building and project more than 15 inches beyond the wall surface, unless compliant as a shingle sign.
- Signs placed on or affixed to vehicles, trailers and/or containers which are parked on a public right-of-way, public property or private property, so as to be visible from a public right-of-way where the apparent purpose is to advertise a product or direct people to a business, organization or activity.
- Signs which are attached or otherwise affixed to utility poles, or trees or other vegetation except for no trespassing signs and other noncommercial signs on the property of the person posting the sign.
- Signs which imitate, interfere with, obstruct the view of, or can be confused with any authorized traffic control sign, signal, or other device.
- Signs which emit any sound, odor or visible matter such as smoke.
- Signs which contain information that states that a lot may be used for a purpose not permitted under this chapter.
- Signs or displays visible from a lot line that include words or images which are obscene or pornographic.
- Snipe signs.
- Signs which emit sound as part of the advertising or which emit objectionable or excessive noise created by electric current or air movement.
- No sign for which a permit is issued after the effective date of this article may be placed or maintained in the Township except as provided herein.
- No part of any sign may be erected or maintained in the public right-of-way other than official traffic signs.
- No sign shall be erected, constructed, or maintained so as to obstruct any fire escape, required exit, window, door opening, or wall opening intended as a means of ingress or egress.
- No sign shall be erected, constructed, or maintained so as to interfere with any building opening required for ventilation.
- All signs shall be located in such a way that they maintain horizontal and vertical clearance of all electrical power lines and communication lines in accordance with the applicable provisions of the National Electrical Code; in no instance shall a sign be erected or constructed within eight feet of any electrical power line, conductor, or service drop, or any communication line, conductor, or service drop.
- All signs and supporting structures shall maintain clearance and noninterference with all surface and underground facilities and conduits for water, sewage, gas, electricity, or communications equipment or lines. Placement of all signs and their supporting structures shall not interfere with natural or artificial drainage or surface or underground water.
- No sign shall be erected, constructed, or maintained so as to interfere with any existing warning or instructional sign.
- No sign shall be erected in such a way as to interfere with or to confuse traffic or pedestrians, to present any traffic or pedestrian hazard, or to obstruct the vision of motorists or pedestrians.
- No sign attached to a building shall be placed on nor shall extend above any part of the building roof.

## Signs exempt from permit in Kidder Township

- Civic and religious organization signs indicating only the organization insignia, name, meeting place, and time, not exceeding four square feet.
- On-site directional or instructional signs, not exceeding four feet in aggregate gross surface area, providing direction or instruction to guide persons to facilities intended to serve the public, providing that such signs contain no advertising of any kind.
- Flags, emblems, and insignia of political, religious, educational, or fraternal organizations displayed for noncommercial purpose.
- Governmental signs for control of traffic, emergency response, and other public or regulatory purposes, street signs, warning signs, railroad crossing signs, and signs of public service companies indicating danger and aids to services or safety, which are erected by or at the order of a public officer or employee.
- Holiday decorations: Signs or other materials temporarily displayed on traditionally accepted civic, patriotic, or religious holidays related to observance of the holiday.
- Interior signs not affixed to a window and not visible from outside, fully within the interior of any building, stadium, or within enclosed lobby or court of any building, and signs located within the inner or outer lobby court or entrance of any theater and not displayed to be visible from outside.
- Memorial plaques or tablets, grave markers, statuary, or other remembrances of persons or events which are noncommercial in nature.
- Wall signs, one per street frontage and not exceeding two square feet, indicating occupant name, address, and identification of any legal business or operation at the premises.
- "No trespassing" and other similar signs not exceeding two square feet.
- Permanent directional signs designating parking area entrances and exits (one per entrance/exit, not exceeding four square feet and not projecting higher than five feet).
- Permanent instructional signs designating the conditions of use or identity of parking areas (not exceeding eight square feet nor exceeding an aggregate surface area of 16 square feet, and not projecting higher than 10 feet for wall signs and seven feet for ground signs).
- Patron advertising signs erected on the perimeter of an organizational sponsored youth athletic field for sponsoring organized youth sports (one-sided, max 32 sq ft aggregate; sponsor ads on scoreboards not exceeding 25% of scoreboard).
- Plaques, nameplates, or memorial signs directly attached or affixed to the exterior walls of a building, not exceeding four square feet aggregate.
- Official notices posted by public officers or employees in the performance of their duties.
- Signs placed on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers where the sign is incidental to the primary use of the vehicle or trailer.
- Religious symbols, commemorative plaques of recognized historical agencies, or identification emblems of religious orders or historical agencies not exceeding two square feet, not exceeding four square feet in aggregate.
- Permanent, nonflashing signs on vending machines, gasoline pumps, ice or milk containers, or similar machines indicating only contents, pricing, and instructional information, not exceeding four square feet per item, not exceeding an aggregate of eight square feet on each machine.
- Signs warning the public of the existence of danger, containing no advertising material; to be removed within three days upon subsidence of danger.
- Tourist orientation directional signs when erected in accord with a permit issued by the state DOT.
- Signs which memorialize an important historic place, event, or person and specifically authorized by the Township or a higher government.
- Routine maintenance or changing of parts or copy of a sign, provided that the maintenance or change of parts or copy does not alter the surface area, height, or otherwise render the sign nonconforming.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign may be erected, placed, established, painted, created or maintained in the Township only in conformance with the standards, procedures, exceptions, and other requirements of this article.
- A permit system is established to allow a variety of types of signs across various zones, subject to the standards and the permit procedures of this article.
- All permit applications must be submitted to the Zoning Officer with detailed required information.
- The Zoning Officer may require additional information as part of the permit application.
- A permit is required before erection, construction, alteration, placing or installation of all signs regulated by this article, unless specifically exempted.
- Prohibition: All signs not expressly permitted by this article are prohibited.
- Sign landscaping (for certain types of freestanding signs) shall be part of the required project landscaping plan; must be maintained according to requirements.
- Applicants for an electronic message sign must provide written certification from the sign manufacturer regarding luminance controls/settings prior to issuance of a sign permit.
- Some master/development plans (e.g., shopping centers, malls, multiple-occupant business identification signs, business subdivision entrance signs, or residential development entrance signs) are subject to review and approval by the Zoning Officer (implying a broader plan review).
- Annual permits may be applied for in lieu of a permit for each event for certain types of recurring temporary signs (e.g., temporary business or event directional signs).

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

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