# Sign Regulations in Middle Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Middle Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/middle-smithfield-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/14788234#14788234)

## At a glance

Middle Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania regulates 42 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Subdivision Identification Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall, 32 sq ft aggregate per subdivision; attached wall: up to 6 ft high and 12 ft long, and 12 feet (if attached to decorative wall) wide, with a Sign/wall treated as sign for setbacks setback (Sec. § 090-080A(1)(e), § 090-130A(13)). Most commercial signs in Middle Smithfield Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 14 | Flagpole: 40 feet maximum; Wall-mounted: 12 feet maximum | 75 sq ft per face, double-faced allowed | — |
| Commercial Area (C1, C2, resort complex/commercial resort), C-1 District, C-2 District, Approved Resort Complex or Commercial Resort | 19 | 15 feet | ≤50% of window/transparent door area per facade | — |
| Industrial Area (I), I District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Residential Area (PRD, R-1, R-2, R-3), PRD District, R-1 District, R-2 District, R-3 District | 1 | — | 30 sq ft per side; 50 sq ft if side is longer than 100 ft | — |
| Rural Area (CON, RR), CON District, RR District | 1 | — | 30 sq ft per side; 50 sq ft if side is longer than 100 ft | — |
| C-1 District | 2 | 25 ft (30 ft if full 300 sq ft) | 300 sq ft | — |
| Approved Resort Complex or Commercial Resort | 5 | 12 feet | 75 sq ft per side, 2 sides | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Construction Sign | 6 feet if not attached to building wall | 16 sq ft for lots with up to 4 dwelling units; 30 sq ft for other uses | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot where construction, repair or renovation is in progress | — | § 090-050J, § 090-130A(4) |
| Flag (Governmental) | Flagpole: 40 feet maximum; Wall-mounted: 12 feet maximum | 40 sq ft (except United States flag, which is exempt) | — | — | 6 per lot (except US flag at residences exempt) | All lots | — | § 090-050H, § 090-130A(6) |
| Farm Product Sign | 5 feet | 10 sq ft per sign; 20 sq ft total for all signs | — | — | 2 per lot | On lot where products are sold | — | § 090-080A(1)(c), § 090-130A(5) |
| Political Sign (≤16 sq ft) | — | 16 sq ft each of two sides | — | — | Per frontage | All zones | — | § 090-080A(1)(d), § 090-130A(10) |
| Subdivision Identification Sign | 6 feet | 32 sq ft aggregate per subdivision; attached wall: up to 6 ft high and 12 ft long | 12 feet (if attached to decorative wall) | Sign/wall treated as sign for setbacks | Max 2 per entrance | At each entrance of a subdivision with 6+ lots | — | § 090-080A(1)(e), § 090-130A(13) |
| Incidental Sign | 5 ft if on pole/post; 8 ft if on building wall | 3 sq ft | — | — | — | On-premises for directions, guidance, etc. | — | § 090-080A(1)(g), § 090-130A(7) |
| Personal Use and Information Sign | 5 feet | 2 sq ft per sign, 8 sq ft total per lot readable from street | — | — | — | On private lot | — | § 090-080A(1)(h), § 090-130A(9) |
| Real Estate Sign | 6 feet (unless attached to building) | 16 sq ft (CON, PRD, RR, R1, R2, R3 or single dwelling), else 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On premises being sold/leased | — | § 090-080A(1)(i), § 090-130A(11) |

### Commercial Area (C1, C2, resort complex/commercial resort), C-1 District, C-2 District, Approved Resort Complex or Commercial Resort

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Auto Dealer Vehicle Sign | — | 2 sq ft per sign | — | — | 3 per vehicle | Attached to a vehicle on a vehicle sales lot | — | § 090-080A(2)(a), § 090-130A(1) |
| Blade Sign | 12 ft to bottom of sign from walking surface | 6 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per principal use | In front of main entrance | — | § 090-120A |
| Freestanding Sign - Main Entrance | 12 feet (20 feet for sign ≥80 sq ft) | 40–160 sq ft per face | — | Per general sign setback requirements (min 10' from ROW/lot line) | 1 per main entrance | Within 100 ft of main vehicle entrance | — | § 090-120E(1) |
| Freestanding Sign - Secondary Entrance | 5 feet | 20 sq ft per face | 8 feet | — | 1 per secondary entrance | Within 100 ft of secondary vehicle entrance | — | § 090-120E(2) |
| Projecting Sign | Min 8 ft (clearance), max 12 ft (to top) | 16 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per main entrance facade | Main entrance building facade | — | § 090-120F |
| Vehicular Directory Sign | 8 feet | 35 sq ft per sign | — | — | 1 per intersection/drive-through use | Adjacent to intersecting interior driveways or at drive-through food service lanes | — | § 090-120D |
| Special Event Sign (Commercial/Resort Use) | 10 feet | 25 sq ft each | — | — | 2 per lot (4 for charitable/public events) | On-site or within a resort complex/commercial resort | — | § 090-130A(12) |
| Mural | 15 feet | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building | On building wall, visible to public | — | § 090-080A(2)(j), § 090-130A(8) |

### Approved Resort Complex or Commercial Resort

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Resort Freestanding Entrance Sign | 12 feet | 75 sq ft per side, 2 sides | — | — | 1 per entrance | Each vehicle entrance to resort | — | § 090-120L(1) |
| Resort Cluster Freestanding Sign | 6 feet | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per cluster | At each housing/community unit cluster | — | § 090-120L(3) |
| Resort Amenity Identification Sign | 10 feet | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 per amenity | At each amenity | — | § 090-120L(6) |
| Resort Amenity or Cluster Directory Sign | 6 feet | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 per cluster/amenity | At each cluster or amenity | — | § 090-120L(5) |
| Resort Intersection Directional Sign | 6 feet | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per intersection | At each street intersection in resort | — | § 090-120L(2) |

## Prohibited signs in Middle Smithfield Township

- Any sign that is not specifically allowed by this article is hereby prohibited.
- Freestanding signs greater than 20 feet in height.
- Changeable signs that are manually changed and that involve more than 60 square feet of sign area per side.
- Snipe signs.
- Vehicular signs involving vehicles parked on private property within 50 feet from a public street right-of-way and that are within clear view of a public street.
- Off-premises signs that do not meet the requirements for such signs in this article.
- Feather flag/banner.
- Pennants.
- Airdancer.
- Bare bulb illumination.
- Flame illumination.
- Beacons or strobe lights.
- No sign or commercial display shall contain or consist of pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, or other similar moving, fluttering, or revolving devices, unless otherwise allowed by this article.
- No sign shall utilize mechanical movement or sequin or sparkle effects, unless otherwise allowed by this article.
- No sign shall be permitted that is comprised of exposed fluorescent tubing or neon or similar lighting, except as specified for window neon signs under certain conditions.
- No sign which emits smoke, visible vapors, particles, sound, or odor shall be permitted.
- Signs shall have no projecting elements greater than 18 inches, unless otherwise permitted (such as for a projecting sign).
- No mirror-type device shall be used as a part of a sign.
- Signs shall contain no parts that are holographic or that are able to produce any holographic image.
- No sign shall be located within a clear sight triangle or otherwise create a traffic visibility hazard.
- All signs, except as otherwise permitted by this article, shall be set back at least 10 feet from a street right-of-way line or cartway.
- A person or nongovernmental entity shall not post any sign upon public property without written permission from the governmental entity that owns or controls the property, except as provided.
- Political and commercial advertising signs shall not be allowed on public property except for political signs on election days where allowed outside of a polling place and authorized sponsor recognition signs not readable from a public street or dwelling.
- No person shall post a nongovernmental sign upon private property without permission from the property owner.
- No sign shall be erected so as to obstruct the clear sight triangle at any street intersection, safe sight distances at vehicle driveways, or views of a traffic control sign or traffic signal.
- No signs or outdoor graphics shall by color, location, or design resemble or conflict with traffic control signs or traffic signals.
- No two electronically changeable message signs shall be spaced less than 500 feet apart along any public road within the Township.
- Maximum sign area for an electronically changing message sign is 40 square feet per face.
- No more than one electronically changeable message sign shall be permitted per lot.
- No electronically changeable message sign shall be located within 500 feet of any lot containing a residential use and/or any lot located within a residential zoning district.
- Signs shall not include electronically or digitally moving or flashing or animated or flickering images or letters, except as allowed for certain electronically changeable message signs; movement is otherwise prohibited.
- An off-premises sign shall not be an electronically changeable message sign.

## Signs exempt from permit in Middle Smithfield Township

- Any sign required by law and which is required to be posted outdoors.
- Auto dealer vehicle signs as accessory to an on-site lawful vehicle sales use.
- Business nameplates not exceeding one square foot in area per nonresidential establishment.
- Building markers not exceeding four square feet and not exceeding four feet in height.
- Decals not exceeding an aggregate of two square feet per building entrance.
- Historical markers erected by an historical agency or association and approved by majority vote of the Board of Supervisors at a regular meeting or by a state agency.
- Interior signs.
- Flags of levels of government.
- Memorial signs located in an approved cemetery.
- Construction signs, real estate signs and political signs of 16 square feet or smaller in sign area.
- Vending machine signs.
- Incidental signs.
- Public notification signs for hearings to be held by a Middle Smithfield Township Board.
- Personal use and information signs.
- Public use and information signs.
- A sign that is physically carried by a person and does not rest upon the ground or a building, provided such person does not enter travel lanes or obstruct a vehicle driveway.
- Shopping cart corral signs within a C1, C2 or I district.
- Window signs that are not illuminated and that are 10 square feet or smaller in sign area.
- On-premises signs that are not readable from any highway, street or lot line, are not internally illuminated, and have a total height of less than 10 feet.
- Signs that existed within a resort complex or commercial resort development at the time of approval of such use, or that are within the scope of the master plan submitted and approved for such use under a prior Township Zoning Ordinance.
- Signs within an approved resort complex or commercial resort development that cannot be read from any public street and from any lot located outside of the resort complex or commercial resort development.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A master sign plan shall be submitted to the Zoning Officer for any land development, building or lot proposed to include three or more new principal nonresidential uses and that is submitted for zoning approval after the effective date of the ordinance.
- Where a master sign plan is required, all subsequent signs requiring a zoning permit shall comply with the master sign plan, unless a revision to such plan is first approved by the Zoning Officer.
- Where a master sign plan is required, no zoning permit shall be issued for a sign requiring a zoning permit and no sign shall be erected until a master sign plan, or amendment thereto, has been approved by the Zoning Officer.
- A required master sign plan should be submitted as part of a final land development plan, to show signs that are known at that time.
- Amendments to a master sign plan must be signed and approved by the property owner(s) and Zoning Officer before they become effective.
- A site plan showing the same information as is listed for a sketch plan in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance shall accompany an application for an off-premises sign.
- The location of the main and secondary entrance freestanding signs or shopping cart corrals should be shown on the land development plan.
- Guidelines are encouraged for reasonable consistency among signs of various uses in the master sign plan.

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

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