# Sign Regulations in McDonald Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** McDonald Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/mcdonald-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/13807253#13807253)

## At a glance

McDonald Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 24 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the B Zoning District, B-1 Zoning District zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall and 24 square feet, with a 10 feet from all property/public street rights-of-way setback (Sec. 27-3086C.(2)). Most commercial signs in McDonald Borough 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 | 13 | 10 feet | 40 square feet | — |
| A Zoning District, V Zoning District | 2 | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| R-1 Zoning District, R-2 Zoning District, R-3 Zoning District | 2 | — | 24 square feet | — |
| B Zoning District, B-1 Zoning District | 7 | 20 feet | 100 square feet | — |
| I Zoning District, Industrial District | 1 | 10 feet (per sign face), structure height max 4 feet above curb of roadway | 250 square feet per face, no more than two faces per structure (back-to-back or V configuration, angle <90°) | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bulletin Sign | — | 24 square feet | — | — | 1 per property | In connection with any church, school, library or similar public or semipublic building | — | 27-3084A |
| Real Estate Sign (A, R-1, R-2, V Zoning) | 6 feet | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot for sale or rent | — | 27-3084B |
| Real Estate Sign (B or I Districts) | 6 feet in A, R-1, R-2, V; 10 feet in B or I | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot for sale or rent | — | 27-3084B |
| Development Sign (A, R-1, R-2, V Zoning) | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot during construction/development | — | 27-3084C |
| Development Sign (B, I Districts) | 10 feet | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot during construction/development | — | 27-3084C |
| Construction Sign | — | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot under construction | — | 27-3084D |
| Temporary Special Event Display | — | 40 square feet | — | — | 1 per property | Face of a public building, church, or nonprofit organization | — | 27-3084E |
| Off-Premises Directional Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | Maximum 10 feet from edge of right-of-way or 15 feet from cartway; on public right-of-way only with owner permission | Up to 4 per business/agency | Within 100 feet of arterial/collector street intersections; within 10 feet of edge of right-of-way or 15 feet from cartway edge if right-of-way doesn't touch front lot line | — | 27-3084G |

### A Zoning District, V Zoning District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign | 6 feet | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot for sale/rent | — | 27-3084B |
| Development Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | — | 27-3084C |

### B Zoning District, B-1 Zoning District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Special Event Display | — | 40 square feet per establishment, 100 square feet total on multi-tenant site | — | — | No more than 2 per establishment at a time | Attached to building or to supporting structure of freestanding pole business ID sign | — | 27-3086A |
| Changeable Copy Sign | — | 30 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | Per lot, regardless of businesses | — | 27-3086B |
| Wall Sign | — | 100 square feet | — | — | Aggregate for business establishment | Building wall for business | — | 27-3086C.(1) |
| Ground Sign | 6 feet | 24 square feet | — | 10 feet from all property/public street rights-of-way | 1 per lot | Freestanding, at least 10 feet from property/public street right-of-way | — | 27-3086C.(2) |
| Pole Sign (1 Business) | 20 feet | 40 square feet | — | 10 feet from all property lines and right-of-way | 1 per lot | Freestanding, if no ground sign exists/proposed; at least 10 feet from property/right-of-way | — | 27-3086C.(3) |
| Pole Sign (More than 1 Business) | 20 feet | 64 square feet | — | 10 feet from all property lines and right-of-way | 1 per lot | Freestanding, if no ground sign exists/proposed; at least 10 feet from property/right-of-way | — | 27-3086C.(3) |
| Arcade Sign | — | 8 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | Suspended from arcade/roof/marquee | — | 27-3086C.(4) |

## Prohibited signs in McDonald Borough

- A-frame or sandwich board signs are not permitted in any zoning district.
- Portable or wheeled signs, other than temporary special event displays authorized by this chapter, are not permitted.
- Banners and pennants, other than temporary special event displays authorized by this chapter, are not permitted.
- Inflatable structures of any kind, other than temporary special event displays authorized by this chapter, are not permitted.
- Moving or flashing signs, except for that portion of a permitted sign that indicates time or temperature, are not permitted.
- Roof signs are not permitted.
- Signs on trees, utility poles or official traffic control devices or signs are not permitted.
- Signs that imitate traffic control devices are not permitted.
- Signs painted on walls or chimneys of a building or on fences or walls are not permitted.
- Strings of lights, flashers, flags, pennants or other display paraphernalia, except those displays specifically authorized by this section, are not permitted.
- Signs on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers that are parked on a public right-of-way, public property or private property, other than temporarily for overnight storage on the site of a business or for maintenance, repair, loading, unloading or rendering a service at any location, that are visible from the public right-of-way and where the apparent purpose is to advertise a product or direct people to a business or activity located on the same or nearby property, are not permitted.
- No sign shall be located in such a position that it will cause a hazard by obstructing visibility for traffic on a street or obscuring a traffic signal or other traffic control device.
- No sign, other than official traffic signs and off-premises directional signs, shall hang over or be erected within the right-of-way of any street.
- No sign shall be located within the clear sight triangle.
- Flashing or oscillating signs shall not be permitted.
- Illumination of signs must be stationary and constant in intensity and color at all times. Lighting must not create glare and must be compatible with the intensity of ambient light and illumination on surrounding properties.
- All signs must be constructed of a durable material and maintained in good condition. Unsafe signs must be repaired or removed within 10 days of notice, or the Borough will remove at owner’s expense.
- Signs relating to discontinued or vacated businesses must be removed within 30 days, or the Borough may remove them at the owner's expense.
- Except for billboards and off-premises directional signs, all signs must be located on the premises they are intended to serve.

## Signs exempt from permit in McDonald Borough

- Political signs are exempt from these regulations.
- Residential identification signs, as defined, are exempt from these regulations.
- Holiday decorations displayed for recognized federal or state holidays are exempt, provided they do not interfere with traffic safety or become a public hazard.
- Memorial/historical plaques, as defined, are exempt from these regulations.
- Window displays, as defined, are exempt, provided they do not exceed 20% of the gross surface area of all windows in an establishment.
- Signs erected by a governmental agency, including street signs and official traffic signs (excluding off-premises directional signs regulated by another subsection), are exempt.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Permits are required for all signs authorized by Subsections 4 through 7, except for notification, real estate, construction signs, and off-premises directional signs erected by a governmental agency (which are exempt from permit requirements). The Code Enforcement Officer shall issue the required permits upon submission of a compliant application and payment of required fees.
- No explicit requirement for a master sign plan or sign plan covering multiple signs or sites is provided in the general provisions; permitting is individual except as otherwise specified in district-specific regulations.
- For Billboards: Billboards are only permitted as conditional uses in the Industrial District, following recommendations by the Planning Commission, a public hearing by Borough Council, and compliance with all special requirements; this process acts as a required review for such sign types.

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

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