# Sign Regulations in Malvern Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Malvern Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/malvern-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/31447648#31447648)

## At a glance

Malvern Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 29 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Billboards in the Commercial Districts, Commercial Zoning District, Industrial Districts, Limited Industrial District (LI, LI-1) zoning district are capped at 22 feet above natural grade tall and 300 sq ft, single-faced, with a 50 ft from street right-of-way; 30 ft from other boundaries setback (Sec. § 220-2604.1B-J). Most commercial signs in Malvern Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 20 feet above average ground level (6 feet for masonry freestanding signs) | 8 square feet of display area | — |
| Residential Districts | 12 | — | 100 square inches | — |
| Commercial Districts, Commercial Zoning District, Industrial Districts, Limited Industrial District (LI, LI-1) | 11 | 22 feet above natural grade | 300 sq ft, single-faced | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Banner (Community/Charitable Event) | — | — | — | — | — | Across streets, alleys, and public rights-of-way | — | § 220-2603A(7) |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 feet above average ground level (6 feet for masonry freestanding signs) | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 220-2603A(8)-(9) |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | May project over public walkway; not more than 4.5 feet projection | — | § 220-2603A(10), (5)(h) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Affixed to awning/canopy over sidewalk | — | § 220-2603A(11) |
| Dispensing Machine (Soda/Candy) Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Outside of building | — | § 220-2603A(12) |
| Digital Sign (Non-billboard) | — | 8 square feet of display area | — | — | — | Commercial Zoning District only | — | § 220-2603B(2)-(6) |

### Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Governmental Sign | — | 8 square feet per side | — | — | 1 per street frontage | — | — | § 220-2604A(2) |
| Institutional Sign | — | 6 square feet per 100 feet of street frontage, or 18 sf min | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On same lot as institution | — | § 220-2604A(3) |
| Temporary Sign (Sale/Rental) | — | 6 sq ft (lot ≤2 acres); 8 sq ft (lot >2 acres); 5 sq ft (if <100 ft frontage) | — | — | 1 per frontage | On lot advertised | — | § 220-2604A(4)(a) |
| Temporary Sign (Subdivision, 5-10 lots) | — | 16 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per subdivision | Within the subdivision | — | § 220-2604A(4)(b) |
| Temporary Sign (Subdivision, 11+ lots) | — | 24 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per 200 ft of road frontage | Within the subdivision | — | § 220-2604A(4)(c) |
| Temporary (Seasonal) Agricultural Product Sign | — | 8 sq ft per side | — | — | 2 | On property where products are produced/sold | — | § 220-2604A(4)(e) |
| Temporary Sign (Contractor/Mechanic/Artisan/Lender) | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property | On premises where work is being performed | — | § 220-2604A(4)(g) |
| Name Sign (Dwelling) | — | 100 square inches | — | — | 1 per dwelling | On same lot as dwelling | — | § 220-2604A(6) |

### Commercial Districts, Commercial Zoning District, Industrial Districts, Limited Industrial District (LI, LI-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bed-and-Breakfast/Tourist Home/Rooming House Sign | — | 6 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On premises | — | § 220-2604B(2) |
| Business/Commercial Sign (Single Principal Use) | — | 36 sq ft (total per frontage); 25 sq ft (single-sided sign) | — | — | — | On same property as use | — | § 220-2604B(3) |
| Business/Commercial Sign (Multiple Principal Uses) | — | 40 sq ft (total per street frontage); per use: not more than 36 sq ft or 10% wall area | — | — | — | On property of use | — | § 220-2604B(3) |
| Industrial Sign | — | Up to 40 sq ft per use per street frontage; otherwise: 36 sq ft or 10% of wall area | — | — | — | On same property as use | — | § 220-2604B(4) |
| Multishop Retail Freestanding Sign | — | 32 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per road frontage of at least 200 ft | Freestanding, for unified developments with 3+ uses, single lot, 200+ ft frontage | — | § 220-2604B(5) |
| Permanent Window Sign | — | Max 50% per window; not more than 50% of total window area of the premises | — | — | — | Affixed/hung/painted on window | — | § 220-2604B(6) |
| Automobile Gas Station Accessory Signs | — | 30 sq ft (total), no more than 5 signs | — | — | 5 | At automobile gas station | — | § 220-2604B(7) |
| Billboard | 22 feet above natural grade | 300 sq ft, single-faced | — | 50 ft from street right-of-way; 30 ft from other boundaries | — | LI and LI-1 Zoning Districts only, not within 1000 ft of another billboard or within 200 ft of any residential use (300 ft if illuminated/digital) | — | § 220-2604.1B-J |

## Prohibited signs in Malvern Borough

- No sign shall be altered, rebuilt, enlarged, expanded or relocated, except in conformance with this article.
- No nonconforming sign may be expanded, rebuilt, replaced or changed, except to make it a conforming sign.
- No spinning, animated, twirling or moving signs.
- No sign on a mobile stand.
- No floating blimp, other hot-inflated signs, or cold-inflated signs.
- No blinking, flashing signs, or klieg-type lights are permitted.
- Billboards or other such outdoor advertising signs not located on the same lot as the primary associated use, except as may be allowed under § 220-2604C by special exception.
- No sign may be attached to a utility pole, tree, or other plant.
- No sign or sign structure shall project above the building height restriction in the district or above the height of a building to which it is affixed.
- No sign shall be placed or painted on any roof of any building or any structure or architectural detail designed to look like a roof.
- No sign may be placed or painted on a public bench.
- A truck, van, or trailer with a sign on it must be parked so as to minimize its use as an advertisement for a use, service or commodity, on the premises, to persons in vehicles on a public street. No such vehicle or trailer shall be parked in an area which is not a paved parking space. No unlicensed, uninspected or unregistered vehicle or trailer may be used as a sign visible from a public street.
- No signs shall be placed or maintained in a position that interferes with traffic or pedestrian safety. The sign shall not obstruct or interfere with the view of any official street sign or signal, the street and/or driveways entering any street or pedestrian ways. No sign shall in any way interfere with the minimum sight distances which would be required for any street or driveway if the street was a state road of the same type, or if the street entered by a driveway was a state road of the same type.
- No sign, other than official street signs, shall be erected or maintained within the street right-of-way, unless a building is located closer and the sign is mounted flush with the building.
- No sign or sign structure shall project more than 4.5 feet over a public walkway and the lower edge of such projecting sign and/or sign structure shall not be less than eight feet above the level of such walkway.
- The source of lighting for an illuminated sign shall not be directly visible from any street, alley or walkway, nor from any window of a residential building.
- No internally illuminated signs are permitted, except for certain specifically allowed sign types.
- No direct rays from lights intended to externally illuminate illuminated signs shall be projected to areas other than the sign.
- No sign shall be illuminated, except between dusk and the time when the business or activity closes, or 11:00 p.m. prevailing time, whichever is later.
- Banners to promote business or other commercial enterprises are prohibited.
- No freestanding sign shall be higher than 20 feet above average ground level, except that the top of any masonry freestanding sign shall not exceed six feet above average grade level.
- All projecting signs shall be rigidly attached to the building and to all supporting and framing structures, attachments and hardware.
- No portion of any canopy or awning sign shall be lower than eight feet above the level of any sidewalk.
- No soda machine or candy machine or similar dispensing machine located outside of a building shall be internally lighted.

## Signs exempt from permit in Malvern Borough

- Regular maintenance of the sign, including electrical, repainting, or cleaning of a sign does not require a permit.
- Repair of a sign that does not change it from the original approved application does not require a permit.
- Minor changes to a sign, such as phone number or contact information changes deemed insignificant by the Borough Zoning Officer, do not require a permit.
- Governmental and official signs do not require a permit.
- Informational signs (such as 'entrance', 'exit', 'no parking', etc.) do not require a permit, provided they are on the same lot as the use to which they relate, do not exceed two square feet, and do not contain advertising.
- Address signs do not require a permit, provided they do not exceed 108 square inches and only one is placed for each street frontage with an entrance.
- No trespassing and private ownership signs do not require a permit, provided the side area does not exceed two square feet, are outside the street right-of-way and at least eight feet from cartway, and spaced at intervals of not less than 100 feet along the street frontage.
- Temporary yard signs for events such as yard or garage sales do not require a permit, provided they are not greater than two square feet, only one on-site sign per use, removed within 24 hours after the event, and no more than four off-premises signs placed with property owner approval.
- Temporary window signs made of paper or other temporary material used as an accessory sign for a principal commercial or retail use do not require a permit (with size and duration limitations specified).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Applications for commercial and industrial signs require a scaled drawing of the sign, materials and colors, and exact location.
- For signs mounted on buildings, the application must include a scaled drawing of the building facade showing sign location, support structure, and identification of colors and materials of the building.
- For freestanding signs, a scaled plot plan is required showing the location of the sign on the property, improvements on the site, drawing of the sign support structure, and any landscaping.
- All applications for signs with an area of 20 square feet or more on any side must include a landscaping plan around the base of the support structure.
- For multishop retail signs, a sign permit application for all signs (individual establishments and the freestanding sign) must accompany the subdivision and land development plan, or be submitted to the Borough Zoning Officer as a new submission for sign permits. Application must include the location, orientation, and a scaled drawing of all signs on a plan submitted as part of the review process, show compatibility with overall design, and be signed by the primary owner/officer of each business. Written consent for Borough inspection and a maintenance plan for the freestanding sign must accompany the application.
- A sign permit is required for all signs except as specified under exemptions.
- Any required fee must accompany the application.
- No sign shall be changed in any way from that shown on the approved application, unless and until a new permit authorizing the change is issued.
- Banners require a permit application to the Zoning Officer at least 15 working days before hanging.

## Full detail

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

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