# Sign Regulations in Marple Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Marple Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/marple-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/10777289#10777289)

## At a glance

Marple Township, Pennsylvania regulates 23 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Nonresidential Districts zoning district are capped at 15 to 25 feet (see below for formula) tall and Up to 50 sq ft (see below for formula), with a +1 ft up to 25 ft. setback from the right-of-way (Sec. §300-98, §300-99). Most commercial signs in Marple Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Industrial (I) District | 1 | 35 feet | 160 square feet | — |
| Business-1 (B-1) Zoning District | 1 | 35 feet | 100 square feet | — |
| Residential Districts | 2 | 4 feet | 2 square feet | — |
| Nonresidential Districts | 6 | 15 to 25 feet (see below for formula) | 50% of window area | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 14 | 48 inches | 40 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Professional Office Identification) | 4 feet | 2 square feet | — | — | 1 per premises | On premises identifying a professional office. | — | §300-101A |
| Attached Wall or Suspended Sign (Professional Office Identification) | — | 2 square feet | — | — | 1 per premises | On premises identifying a professional office. | — | §300-101A |

### Nonresidential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 7.5% of wall area | 70% of tenancy or building wall width | At building setback line or further back for increased area allowance. | No more than 2 wall, projecting, or awning signs per 30 feet of building frontage | Attached parallel to the plane of the wall, shall not extend beyond ends or over top, flush to wall, on front or side. | — | §300-96A; §300-97 |
| Suspended Wall Sign | — | 7.5% of wall area | 70% of tenancy or building wall width | — | No more than 2 wall, projecting, or awning signs per 30 feet of building frontage | Suspended, face parallel to wall, not projecting more than 12 inches; in multistory buildings, must be no higher than first floor. | — | §300-96B; §300-97 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 7.5% of wall area | — | — | No more than 2 wall, projecting, or awning signs per 30 feet of building frontage | Attached to building wall, facade, marquee, or porch; extends more than 12 inches but not more than 18 inches from the wall. | — | §300-96C; §300-97 |
| Window Sign | — | 50% of window area | — | — | — | Interior of window and visible from exterior. | — | §300-96D; §300-97; §300-90I |
| Awning Sign | — | 7.5% of wall area | — | — | No more than 2 wall, projecting, or awning signs per 30 feet of building frontage | On an awning or canopy; must not project above, below, or beyond the awning/canopy. | — | §300-96E; §300-97 |
| Freestanding Sign | 15 to 25 feet (see below for formula) | Up to 50 sq ft (see below for formula) | — | Min 15 feet from right-of-way or equal to sign height; individual area for setback: 15' from ROW: max 12 sq ft; each extra foot: +1 sq ft up to 50 sq ft. Height: 15' from ROW: 15 ft; each extra 2' of setback: +1 ft up to 25 ft. | 1 per street frontage | One per street frontage per tract; must be located at least 15 feet from right-of-way/front/side property line or equal to height of sign, whichever greater; not more than 200 feet from street right-of-way; no closer than 1,000 feet to another freestanding sign on the tract. | — | §300-98, §300-99 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Development/Neighborhood Identification Sign | 48 inches | 16 square feet | — | — | Max 2 per development/neighborhood | On-site, at entrance to development/neighborhood. Max 2 single-faced signs per development/neighborhood. | — | §300-100A |
| Multiple-Family Development Identification Sign | 48 inches (if freestanding) | 16 square feet | — | — | 1 per vehicle access street frontage | One per street frontage with vehicle access. Freestanding, attached wall, or suspended wall. Single or double-faced. | — | §300-100B |
| Religious and Quasi-public Institution Bulletin Board (Freestanding or Wall) | 8 feet (for freestanding sign) | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 per institution | On-site, for religious and quasi-public institutions. | — | §300-100C |
| Temporary For Sale/For Rent Real Estate Sign - Residential | 5 feet (freestanding) | 6 square feet | — | Not within the right-of-way. | 1 per street frontage | On premises, one per street frontage. | — | §300-100D(2); §300-90H |
| Temporary For Sale/For Rent Real Estate Sign - Nonresidential | 8 feet (freestanding) | 20 square feet | — | Not within the right-of-way. | 1 per street frontage | On premises, one per street frontage. | — | §300-100D(2); §300-90H |
| Construction Sign (On-site) | 8 feet | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 per project or development | On-site, at construction project. | — | §300-100D(3) |
| Political Sign (Freestanding) | 6 feet (freestanding) | 6 square feet per sign (freestanding); up to 8 square feet per property (wall) | — | — | No limit (see requirements) | On private property (not on public property except at polling places on election day). | — | §300-100E(1) |
| Civic Event Sign | 6 feet (freestanding) | 16 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On private property with owner consent. | — | §300-100E(2) |

## Prohibited signs in Marple Township

- Signs placed or painted on a vehicle or vehicle trailer and parked with the primary purpose of providing a sign for a business, use, event or similar function.
- A sign that copies or imitates or in any way approximates an official highway sign or carries the words 'STOP,' 'DANGER,' 'GO SLOW,' 'CAUTION,' 'WARNING' or similar terms.
- Any sign in or projecting into a public right-of-way.
- A sign or illumination that causes any direct glare into or upon any building or street, other than the building to which the sign may be accessory.
- Abandoned signs, defined as those on-premises signs that advertise an activity, business, product or service no longer conducted or available on the premises.
- Any off-premises sign advertising activities, services, products or uses not located, made, sold, used or served on the premises displaying such sign unless permitted under § 300-95.1 of this chapter.
- Roof signs or signs on dormers or balconies.
- Inflatable signs.
- Strobe lights and signs containing strobe lights.
- Animated signs, defined as having moving parts or lighting that creates the illusion of moving parts, except those portions of a sign indicating time and/or temperature.
- Signs that emit smoke, visible vapors, particles, sound or odors.
- Signs consisting of pennants, spinners or streamers, except as short-term temporary on-site commercial event signs as permitted in this article.
- Any sign that impairs or causes confusion to vehicular or pedestrian traffic in its design, color or placement, as determined by the Police Department of Marple Township.
- Any sign mounted or attached to a tree or utility pole in the public right-of-way.
- Any sign within 500 feet of an interstate highway.
- Any sign located in a rear yard.
- Any sign that is not included under the types of signs permitted in specific district regulations or in this article.

## Signs exempt from permit in Marple Township

- Signs inside a building, not visible from a right-of-way, private or public road or other private property.
- Building street address numbers.
- Signs carved into or part of materials that are on an integral and permanent part of the building, noting the name of the building and its date of erection.
- Garage or yard sale signs no larger than six square feet, displayed for a maximum duration of 48 hours per year.
- Public and/or government signs, including traffic or similar regulatory devices.
- Flags and insignia of any government, except when displayed in connection with a commercial promotion.
- Nonilluminated warning, private drive, posted or no trespassing signs, not exceeding two square feet per face.
- Temporary, nonilluminated 'For Sale,' 'For Rent,' real estate signs concerning the premises upon which the sign is located, subject to the provisions of § 300-100D(2).
- Nonilluminated window signs and posters not exceeding 10% of the window surface.
- One temporary sign for a seasonal roadside stand selling agricultural produce grown on the premises, provided that such sign shall not exceed six square feet in area, shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from any property line and shall remain on the site only for that portion of the year that the stand is in active use.
- Nonilluminated, on-premises directional signs for the convenience of the general public, such as those identifying public parking areas, fire zones and entrances and exits, not exceeding four square feet per face and no more than six feet above the ground.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No sign may be erected unless it conforms with the regulations of this article. Sign permits must be approved prior to erection of the sign.
- Except for the exempt signs specified in § 300-90 and routine maintenance, no person may erect, alter or relocate within the Township any sign without first obtaining a sign permit.
- Permit application requires the submission of a site plan showing all structures and the exact location of the proposed sign.
- Sign(s) shall be considered a site plan and architectural feature of the proposed development and as such, should be coordinated in size, height, color, illumination, location, graphic design and finish detailing with the building(s), landscaping, area lighting and vehicular and pedestrian circulation and shall be shown on drawings with and considered in conjunction with uses where land development approval is required.
- For freestanding off-premises signs (billboards), applicants must submit a plan, sealed by a structural engineer, showing the proposed construction (per § 300-95.2M).
- A landscaping plan must be submitted for review and approval by the Code Enforcement Officer for freestanding billboard structures (per § 300-95.2C).

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

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