# Sign Regulations in Middleburg Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Middleburg Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/middleburg-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/27986142#27986142)

## At a glance

Middleburg Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 9 sign types across 2 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Commercial District (C), Neighborhood Commercial District (NC), Industrial District (I) zoning district are capped at Shall not exceed 35 feet overall above grade/sidewalk; at least 5 feet clearance between lower portion/support and roof tall, 24 sq ft if erected within required front yard, and 6 ft if within required front yard wide, with a Must be at least 5 ft from the adjoining property line. Not within required side/rear yards. setback (Sec. § 27-1612 Table; § 27-901, § 27-905, § 27-912). Most commercial signs in Middleburg Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (2 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Commercial District (C), Neighborhood Commercial District (NC), Industrial District (I) | 7 | Shall not exceed 35 feet overall above grade/sidewalk; at least 5 feet clearance between lower portion/support and roof | 300 sq ft if erected within required front yard | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | 16 sq ft (temporary, movable); 80 sq ft (government flag or insignia); 4 sq ft (historical tablet); 36 in height (revolving barbershop pole) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Commercial District (C), Neighborhood Commercial District (NC), Industrial District (I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | Shall not exceed 35 feet overall above grade/sidewalk; at least 5 feet clearance between lower portion/support and roof | 24 sq ft if erected within required front yard | 6 ft if within required front yard | Must be at least 5 ft from the adjoining property line. Not within required side/rear yards. | 1 sign per lot with ≥70 ft frontage; 1 per 200 ft additional frontage or major fraction | Within required front yard; not within required side/rear yards. Not less than 5 ft from adjoining property. Shall not project into any public right-of-way. | — | § 27-1612 Table; § 27-901, § 27-905, § 27-912 |
| Freestanding Sign - Option 2 | Shall not exceed 35 feet overall above grade/sidewalk; at least 5 feet clearance between lower portion/support and roof | 300 sq ft if erected within required front yard | 25 ft if within required front yard | Must be at least 5 ft from the adjoining property line. Not within required side/rear yards. | 1 sign per lot with ≥70 ft frontage; 1 per 200 ft additional frontage or major fraction | Within required front yard; not within required side/rear yards. Not less than 5 ft from adjoining property. Shall not project into any public right-of-way. | — | § 27-1612 Table; § 27-901, § 27-905, § 27-912 |
| Wall Sign | Shall not extend more than 3 ft above roof/parapet; see additional requirements | See formula; rear wall sign: max 25% of largest sign attached to structure, only one permitted | — | Must not extend more than 18 in beyond building line. Must not be erected in required side or rear yards. | See sign size restrictions. | On building face; no more than 48 inch projection from wall | — | § 27-907; § 27-1612 Table; § 27-901; § 27-905 |
| Window Sign | — | Permanent window signs: max 25% of window area; Permanent + temporary: max 35% of window area; Neon: max 10% of window area or 8 sq ft, whichever is less | — | — | — | Affixed, painted, or etched to window | — | § 27-908; § 27-901 |
| Electronic Sign (Freestanding only) | — | 50 sq ft (electronic portion and total) | — | — | 1 per lot | Freestanding only | — | § 27-910 |
| Billboard | 25 ft above ground level. Not permitted on roofs. | 300 sq ft per face | — | Setback: at least 50 ft from right-of-way; not within 500 ft of residential. Must have 1000 ft separation from other billboards. | — | Industrial and Commercial Districts only; set back at least 50 ft from street right-of-way | — | § 27-906 |
| Marquee/Canopy Sign | Subject to maximum structure height of zoning district | Per identification sign size limits; counted as part of building sign area | — | Shall not extend beyond required building setback line. | — | On canopy or marquee attached to building; must meet building/setback line and height restrictions | — | § 27-911 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Vehicular Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On vehicle. In residential districts, must be garaged or parked screened from street unless moved off premises 3x per week, or actively used for on-location work. | — | § 27-909, § 27-903.1K, R |
| Temporary/Miscellaneous Sign - Exempt | — | 16 sq ft (temporary, movable); 80 sq ft (government flag or insignia); 4 sq ft (historical tablet); 36 in height (revolving barbershop pole) | — | — | — | Various: see notes. Menu boards behind front face building line/setback; temporary signs not more than 8 hours/day. Government signs, highway markers, flags, vending machine signs, historical tablets, etc. See § 27-904. | — | § 27-904 |

## Prohibited signs in Middleburg Borough

- Animated, sequential, flashing, rotating, or oscillating signs, or revolving signs, with the exception of barbershop poles.
- A sign suspended between poles and lighted by a series of lights.
- A sign suspended between poles, consisting of either pennants or spinners.
- Signs attached to utility poles, official traffic signs, street signs, or bridges.
- Any sign of any type across a public street, except as permitted by PennDOT.
- Any sign which projects over a public sidewalk more than 12 inches at a height less than nine feet above the sidewalk.
- Any sign containing information which states or implies that a property may be used for any purpose not permitted under the provisions of this chapter.
- Any sign which uses the word 'stop,' 'look,' 'danger,' or any other word, character, or color which attempts or appears to attempt to direct the movement of traffic or which interferes with or resembles any official traffic sign, signal, or device within 75 feet of a public right-of-way or within 200 feet of a traffic control device, whichever is greater.
- Open flames used to attract public attention to a place of business or to an advertising sign.
- Any sign which obstructs the view of a pedestrian or vehicle operator at an intersection.
- Any sign placed upon a truck or other vehicle not used for normal day-to-day operations of a business or not regularly moved for business-related purposes.
- Freestanding signs for multiple individual businesses on a single lot.
- Any sign that emits smoke, vapors, particulate, sound or odor.
- Inflatable signs displayed for more than 48 hours in any 90-day time period.
- Any sign placed on the roof or higher than the vertical walls of any structure.
- Signs in a public right-of-way except official highway route number signs, street name signs, directional, or other official government signs.
- Any sign erected, painted, or drawn on a tree or rock or other naturally occurring feature, except signs controlling the use of private property, such as the prohibition of hunting, fishing or trespassing.
- Off premises signs, except as allowed under § 27-906 (Billboards).
- Banners, unless otherwise permitted by Table T-3, temporary signs.
- Any sign displaying obscene material, words, phrases or graphics.
- Any form of laser, projecting, pyrotechnics or holographic display (for electronic signs).
- No portable or billboard electronic signs are permitted.
- Signs which contain, include, or are illuminated by any flashing, intermittent, or moving light or lights (for billboards).
- Any sign which is not effectively shielded so as to prevent beams or rays of light being directed at any portion of a traveled highway or causing glare or impairing vision of drivers.
- No sign shall be so illuminated that it interferes with the effectiveness of or obscures an official traffic sign, device, or signal.

## Signs exempt from permit in Middleburg Borough

- Official highway route number signs, street name signs, directional, or other official government (federal, state, county, or Borough) signs.
- Directional information or public service signs, such as those advertising availability of restrooms, telephone or similar public conveniences.
- Signs advertising meeting times and places of nonprofit service or charitable clubs may be erected and maintained, provided that such signs do not advertise any commercial establishment, activity, organization, product, goods, or services except those of public utilities.
- Government flags or insignias not exceeding 80 square feet.
- Government signs.
- Vending machine signs bearing the brand name of the product being sold or price of such product.
- Historical tablets, provided that such tablet does not exceed four square feet.
- Signs which are a permanent architectural feature of a building or structure, such as a cornerstone, or identifying letters carved into or embossed on a building, provided that the letters are not made of a reflective material nor contrast in color with the building.
- Revolving barbershop pole sign, provided that it does not exceed 36 inches in height.
- Signs advertising the variety of crop growing in a field (must be removed after the growing season).
- Temporary, movable signs not exceeding 16 square feet and not displayed for more than eight hours per day.
- Menu boards located in the exterior yard behind a line along the front building face(s) extending to the building setback lines.
- The following operations shall not be considered as creating a sign and shall not require a permit: replacing copy (the changing of the advertising copy or message on an approved painted or printed sign or on approved signs specifically designed for the use of replaceable copy).
- Maintenance: painting, repainting, cleaning and other normal maintenance and repair of a sign or a sign structure, unless a structural change is made.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A zoning permit may be required for permanent and temporary signs as per §§ 27-901 and 27-902.
- Sign permits shall be required for signs as noted in §§ 27-901 (Permitted Permanent Signs) and 27-902 (Permitted Temporary Signs).
- Permit is NOT required for exempt signs as listed in § 27-904.
- Permit is NOT required for maintenance or replacement of copy as per § 27-912.2.
- For electronic signs, prior to issuance of a sign permit, written certification from the manufacturer regarding light intensity is required.
- Appropriate state and/or federal permits must be obtained prior to erection of billboards (and filed with Zoning Office).
- No references found to a master sign plan, sign plan, or required variance meeting across all zones.

## Full detail

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

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