# Sign Regulations in Saint Marys, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Saint Marys, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/saint-marys
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-21
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/41600429#41600429)

## At a glance

Saint Marys, Pennsylvania regulates 10 sign types across 1 zoning district. Temporary Sign (Public Park or Boulevard)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 12 sq ft per sign surface (Boulevard only) (Sec. § 101(B)-(E) [19-1011B-E] Temporary Signs.). Most commercial signs in Saint Marys require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (1 zone)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 10 | — | 12 sq ft per sign surface (Boulevard only) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (Public Street) | — | — | — | — | — | Within public street. | — | § 101(A)-(J) [19-1011A-J] Temporary Signs. |
| Temporary Sign (Public Park or Boulevard) | — | 12 sq ft per sign surface (Boulevard only) | — | — | — | Any public park or Boulevard. | — | § 101(B)-(E) [19-1011B-E] Temporary Signs. |
| Temporary Sign (Political Campaign, Public Property) | — | — | — | — | — | Within public streets or public property. | — | § 101(K) [19-1011K] Temporary Signs. |
| Permanent Sign (General) | — | — | — | — | — | General; see specific types for more. No sign in right-of-way; must not block ingress/egress, light, or air. | — | § 315 (1)-(20) [27-3151-27-31520]; including relevant subsections. |
| Wall Sign (General) | — | — | — | — | — | On walls of buildings/structures. Advertising on barns/structures considered wall sign and subject to these regulations. | — | § 315(5),(12) [27-3155, 27-31512] |
| Freestanding Sign (General) | — | — | — | — | — | Not within street right-of-way. Must not block sight triangle. | — | § 315(12),(14),(17) [27-31512, 27-31514, 27-31517] |
| Billboard | — | — | — | — | — | General; must comply with Chapter 19 regulations. | — | § 315(17); Chapter 19 |
| Street Name Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As part of countywide addressing system; on streets/roadways per City and Elk County policy. | — | § 701, § 703 [21-701, 21-703] |

## Prohibited signs in Saint Marys

- No temporary sign may be placed within the boundaries of a public street where the location or size of the sign creates an impediment to use of the street or sidewalk or otherwise creates a traffic or pedestrian safety hazard.
- No temporary sign may be placed within the boundaries of a public street without the permission of the owner of the property abutting the street where the sign is placed.
- No temporary sign may be placed within any public park or on the Boulevard without first obtaining a permit from the City Manager.
- No commercial sign may be placed on the Boulevard.
- No temporary sign placed on the Boulevard may exceed 12 square feet on any sign surface.
- No lewd, vulgar, indecent, or obscene words, symbols or pictures shall be displayed on any temporary sign posted on public property.
- Every temporary sign shall be constructed of materials that will be reasonably secure from damage or dislocation by weather conditions.
- No sign shall be maintained within the City in such a state of disrepair as to have the appearance of complete neglect, to be rotting or falling down, to be illegible, or to have loose parts separated from original fastenings.
- No sign shall be of the intermittent flashing or rotating type.
- No sign located within 300 feet of any traffic light shall be illuminated with red, green or yellow lights or neon tubing.
- No sign shall be erected or located in a way that prevents free ingress or egress from any window, door or fire escape.
- No sign shall be placed in such a position that it will obscure light or air from a building or create a traffic danger.
- No sign shall be erected within the right-of-way of any street.
- No sign located within any floodplain shall exceed six square feet of area per side.
- No lewd, vulgar, indecent, or obscene advertising matter shall be displayed in any manner, including acts or simulation of sexual acts, display of genitals, or other indecent content.
- No sign shall be erected to obscure or cover up any lamp, sign, or barricade erected as a warning of danger by city authorities or persons permitted to do work by the city.
- No sign may be maintained if it endangers the safety of the building, premises, or public safety.
- Except in the case of billboards, only those signs referring directly to materials, products, or services offered or activities conducted on the premises are permitted.
- Except in the case of billboards, all signs must relate to a use or activity located and/or conducted within the City of Saint Marys.

## Signs exempt from permit in Saint Marys

- Political campaign signs on public property may use the election date as the date of the 'event' for sign display limits.
- Advertising painted upon or displayed upon a barn or other building or structure shall be regarded as a flat wall sign, indicating special consideration for this type of sign under wall sign regulations.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs requiring the obtainment of a permit shall be required to submit building permit applications that include scaled plans or diagrams with the exact dimensions, location, construction details, and any other lawful information required by the Zoning Officer.
- No sign permit shall be issued except in conformity with the regulations of this chapter, except upon order of the Zoning Hearing Board, granted pursuant to the procedures established for the issuance of a variance.

## Full detail

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

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