# Sign Regulations in Mount Joy Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Mount Joy Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/mount-joy-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/32729313#32729313)

## At a glance

Mount Joy Township, Pennsylvania regulates 10 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Billboard (Expressway Facing)s in the BPC District, BPC-O District zoning district are capped at 40 ft tall and 672 sq ft per face, with a See additional requirements setback (Sec. § 110-811A-F). Most commercial signs in Mount Joy Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A District, OC District | 2 | 6 ft | 8 sq ft | — |
| BPC District, BPC-O District | 4 | 40 ft | 672 sq ft per face | — |
| AC District | 1 | — | 8 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | 8 ft | 25 sq ft | — |

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

### A District, OC District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| On-Premises Sign | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | — | On the lot | — | § 110-809B(2), § 110-809D(5), § 110-802 |
| Freestanding Sign (Nonconforming Nonresidential Use) | 6 ft | 5 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On-premises | — | § 110-805A |

### BPC District, BPC-O District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| On-Premises Sign | — | 15 sq ft | — | — | — | On the lot | — | § 110-809B(2), § 110-809D |
| Freestanding/Wall Sign (Nonconforming Nonresidential Use) | — | 15 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On-premises | — | § 110-805B, § 110-809B(2) |
| Billboard (Expressway Facing) | 40 ft | 672 sq ft per face | — | See additional requirements | — | Only in BPC-O District, may not be located on a lot occupied by a roofed structure, telecommunications tower, wind turbine, solar energy system, or another billboard. | — | § 110-811A-F |
| Billboard (Arterial or Collector Facing) | 40 ft | 300 sq ft per face | — | See additional requirements | — | Only in BPC-O District, may not face local/minor roads; | — | § 110-811C-E |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Exterior wall of a building | — | § 110-803, § 110-809D, § 110-802 |
| Freestanding Sign | — | — | — | May be located in required front setback as long as other requirements are met. | 1 per lot frontage | Erected as a detached sign on a frame, pole, or mast, not attached to any building. | — | § 110-809A(4), § 110-809D, § 110-809E, § 110-809F |
| Directional Sign (Off-Premises, Township ROW, not US 15/SR 97) | 8 ft | 3 sq ft | 36 in (3 ft) | — | Up to 4 per support; one support per intersection | Township-owned public road right-of-way; not within clear sight triangle; within 1 road mile of business/institution. | — | § 110-812 A-L |
| Temporary Sign (Event, Political, Contractor, Real Estate) | — | 4 sq ft (most); some event signs: 6 sq ft | — | — | Up to 2 per lot | On lot; duration restrictions apply (see below). | — | § 110-803C, D |
| Freestanding or Wall Sign (Residential/Development Identification) | 8 ft | 25 sq ft | — | — | One per entrance | Entrance(s) to residential or building development | — | § 110-803E |

## Prohibited signs in Mount Joy Township

- Off-premises signs, other than billboards meeting the requirements of § 110-811.
- A device emitting smoke, visible vapor, odor or sound for the primary purpose of attracting the attention of pedestrians and motorists.
- A sign of such character, form, shape or color that imitates or resembles an official traffic sign, signal or device.
- Signs with moving and/or animated parts.
- A sign containing or to which is affixed or erected in close proximity reflective materials to give the appearance of flashing, blinking or twinkling or which is illuminated by or by which attention is brought to the sign by lasers and floodlights.
- Signs having more than two faces.
- Changing message signs, excepting signs providing public service information such as time, date, temperature, weather or similar information.
- A sign containing a message, word or image that is obscene or otherwise highly offensive to public decency.
- Vehicular signs.
- Sandwich board signs.
- Roof signs.
- Portable signs.
- No sign shall be placed within the sight distance triangle as defined by this chapter.
- Except where specifically authorized, no sign shall be erected within the legal or ultimate right-of-way of any public or private street.
- No sign shall be erected or maintained so as to prevent free ingress or egress from any door, window, or fire escape.
- No sign shall be permitted which obscures or otherwise interferes with an official traffic sign, signal or device or which obstructs or interferes with the driver's view of approaching, merging or intersecting traffic.
- No sign shall be permitted to be erected or maintained upon utility poles, streetlights, or trees, or painted or drawn upon rocks or other natural features.
- No sign shall be illuminated by flashing, intermittent or moving type lights (except holiday displays between October 15 and January 15).
- Illumination shall not cause glare for motorists, pedestrians, or neighboring lots, or impair the vision of a driver or otherwise interfere with a driver's operation of a motor vehicle.

## Signs exempt from permit in Mount Joy Township

- Official highway route number signs, street name signs, or other official government (federal, state, county, or Township) signs.
- Signs located in the interior of a building, except window signs.
- Building identification sign.
- A sign that does not qualify as an on-premises or off-premises sign, provided that it does not exceed four square feet in area, is erected no earlier than one month before and removed no later than one week after the purpose of the sign is fulfilled, and that there are no more than two such signs on a lot.
- Freestanding or wall sign identifying a residential or building development, for which subdivision and/or land development plans have been approved by the Mount Joy Township Board of Supervisors, by name and/or logo, not exceeding a maximum sign area of 25 square feet and a maximum height of eight feet. One such sign may be located at each entrance to the development.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The ordinance establishes a process for the review and approval of sign permit applications (§110-801E).
- To install a new sign, to replace or add to an existing sign, or to apply for temporary signage, a zoning permit is required except for signs that are exempt from needing a permit under §803 (§110-802A).
- Only signs allowed by this article meeting the requirements of this article and, where required, for which a zoning permit has been issued are permitted (§110-802B).
- A lawfully existing sign, including nonconforming signs, may be repaired or painted, or the message changed without requiring the issuance of a zoning permit, provided that the change does not increase the sign area or height or otherwise result in noncompliance with the requirements of this article (§110-802C).
- There is reference to a process for approval of sign permits, but no explicit requirement for a Master Sign Plan or similar documented sign plan in the general regulations covered.

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

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