# Sign Regulations in Manchester Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Manchester Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/manchester-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/30848815#30848815)

## At a glance

Manchester Township, Pennsylvania regulates 24 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Billboard/Outdoor Advertising Devices in the Industrial Districts (I) zoning district are capped at 14 ft tall, 672 sq ft, and 48 ft wide, with a 30 ft from front lot line/building line, 300 ft from residential district/use if visible/facing (with arterial exception) setback (Sec. § 27-1406).

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 15 | — | As allowed by sign type, no size increase for CEVMS | — |
| Residential Districts | 3 | 10 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| Commercial Districts | 5 | — | No increase above otherwise permitted sign size | — |
| Industrial Districts (I) | 4 | 14 ft | 672 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Government Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Owned or operated by the Township or other governmental agencies. | — | § 27-1402 [A] |
| On-site Directional Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On the site for directional purposes. | — | § 27-1402 [F] |
| Nameplate | — | — | — | — | — | Owner/resident identification. May be in addition to name/address on mailbox. | — | § 27-1402 [C] |
| Private Property Control Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On private road, driveway, or premises. | — | § 27-1402 [E] |
| Temporary Sign (Architect/Contractor) | — | — | — | — | — | On property under construction. | — | § 27-1403 [A] |
| Temporary Sign (Real Estate <3 acres) | — | — | — | — | — | On properties for sale/rent/lease | — | § 27-1403 [B] |
| Temporary Sign (Real Estate ≥3 acres) | — | — | — | — | — | On properties for sale/rent/lease | — | § 27-1403 [C] |
| Changeable Electronic Variable Message Sign (CEVMS) (General) | — | As allowed by sign type, no size increase for CEVMS | — | — | One CEVMS per lot (on-site) | Permitted only for P-1, P-2, P-7, P-9, and P-10 signs (not P-7A or P-9A) | — | § 27-1256 |

### Commercial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Business Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On business site (not shopping center/plaza/mall). | — | § 27-1402 [G] |
| Wall Sign (Attached Business Sign) | — | — | — | — | — | On business building (not shopping center/plaza/mall). | — | § 27-1402 [H] |
| Freestanding Commercial Sign (Shopping Center/Plaza/Mall) | — | — | — | — | One per shopping center/plaza/mall | On shopping center/plaza/mall site. | — | § 27-1402 [K] |
| Wall Sign (Individual Store in Shopping Center/Plaza/Mall) | — | — | — | — | — | On facade of individual store within shopping center/plaza/mall. | — | § 27-1402 [L] |
| Changeable Electronic Variable Message Sign (CEVMS) (Business) | — | No increase above otherwise permitted sign size | — | — | One per lot (CEVMS) | Permitted for P-7, P-9 business signs (see general CEVMS regulations) | — | § 27-1256 |

### Industrial Districts (I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Billboard/Outdoor Advertising Device | 14 ft | 672 sq ft | 48 ft | 30 ft from front lot line/building line, 300 ft from residential district/use if visible/facing (with arterial exception) | One per facing per structure | — | — | § 27-1406 |
| Changeable Electronic Variable Message Sign (CEVMS) (Billboard) | 14 ft | 672 sq ft | 48 ft | Per billboard regulations. | One CEVMS per billboard face, no two CEVMS billboard faces in eyesight | Billboard (P-10) signs | — | § 27-1256(8) |
| Freestanding Business Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On the business premise. | — | § 27-1402 [G] |
| Wall Sign (Attached Business Sign) | — | — | — | — | — | On the building facade. | — | § 27-1402 [H] |

## Prohibited signs in Manchester Township

- Signs designed or located such that they interfere with, compete for attention with, or may be mistaken for a traffic signal, including any sign visible from the public right-of-way using an arrow device or the word 'stop', or in which the colors red and green are used in direct illumination or high reflection.
- Any sign located in or extending into a public right-of-way, except those owned or operated by duly constituted government.
- Any freestanding or projecting sign within a clear sight triangle.
- Signs projecting over a public sidewalk area more than 18 inches.
- Animated, sequential, flashing, rotating or oscillating signs.
- Open flames used to attract public attention to a place of business or to an advertising sign.
- Freestanding signs for individual uses within a shopping center.
- No sign shall be placed on the roof or be higher than the vertical walls of any structure.
- Inflatable signs are prohibited except for special events.
- Signs must not be located so as to interfere with visibility for motorists at street or driveway intersections.
- Lighted signs must be shielded so that there is no direct light transmitted to other properties or public rights-of-way.
- Each sign must be removed when the circumstances leading to its erection no longer apply.
- Signs must be constructed of durable material, maintained in good condition, and not allowed to become dilapidated.
- Advertising painted upon, or displayed upon, a barn or other building or structure shall be regarded as an advertising signboard, and the regulations pertaining to signboards apply.
- No billboard or outdoor advertising sign shall be erected upon the roof of any building.
- No sign shall be permitted which is not effectively shielded so as to prevent beams or rays of light being directed at any portion of the traveled way of any highway, or which is of such intensity or brilliance as to cause glare or to impair the vision of the driver of any vehicle or which interferes with any driver's operation of a motor vehicle.
- No sign shall be so illuminated that it interferes with the effectiveness of or obscures an official traffic sign, device or signal.
- Signs that contain, include, or are illuminated by any flashing, intermittent, or moving light or lights are prohibited, except public service information signs (e.g., time, date, temperature, weather).

## Signs exempt from permit in Manchester Township

- Signs and signals owned or operated by the Township or other governmental agencies.
- Normal name and address signs on or attached to mailboxes are not subject to the regulations of this Part.
- The changing of the advertising copy or message on an approved painted or printed sign or on approved signs that are specifically designed for the use of replaceable copy does not require a permit.
- Painting, repainting, cleaning and other normal maintenance and repair of a sign or a sign structure, unless structural change is made, does not require a permit.
- Special event signs for charitable or nonprofit organizations are exempt from the limitation of two special events per year, but must comply with all other requirements for such signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Signs may be erected and maintained only when in compliance with the provisions of this chapter and any and all other ordinances and regulations relating to the erection, alteration or maintenance of signs and similar devices.
- Building permits shall be required for permanent and temporary signs as noted in §§ 27-1408 and 27-1409.
- Editor's Note: Permitted Permanent Signs and Permitted Temporary Signs Tables are included as attachments to this chapter and those tables may include further requirements (such as sign plans or master sign plans) not enumerated in the provided text.
- Certain sign types (such as individual letter fascia signs exceeding area limits) may require special exception approval.
- There is no explicit requirement for a master sign plan or general sign plan mentioned in the provided text, but approval processes such as permits and special exceptions are required for specific cases.

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

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/manchester-township