# Sign Regulations in South Park Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** South Park Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/south-park-township
- **Data last verified:** 2026-05-21
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/33674382#33674382)

## At a glance

South Park Township, Pennsylvania regulates 22 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the Business Park District (BP), Industrial District (I) zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and 48 sq ft, with a 10 ft from property line; 10 ft from ROW or 15 ft from cartway as applicable setback (Sec. §137-156C(4)(b)). Most commercial signs in South Park Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 11 | 10 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| Residential Zoning Districts, R Districts | 2 | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — |
| Business Park District (BP), Industrial District (I) | 8 | 20 ft (top of sign); 8 ft (bottom edge minimum) | Up to 100 sq ft per lot (all wall signage types) | — |
| Commercial District (C-1, C-2, C-3), C-3 District, C Districts | 10 | 40 ft (above curb) | 450 sq ft per sign face (max 2 faces; back-to-back or V configuration) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 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 sq ft | — | — | One | In connection with any church, school, library or similar public or semipublic building | — | §137-154A |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential) | 6 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | One | On each lot | — | §137-154B |
| Real Estate Sign (Non-residential) | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | One | On each lot | — | §137-154B |
| Development Sign | 10 ft | 32 sq ft | — | — | One | On each development site | — | §137-154C |
| Construction Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | One | On a lot with construction | — | §137-154D |
| Temporary Special Event Display | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | One per event | On lot with public building, church, or nonprofit | — | §137-154E |
| Home Occupation Identification Sign (Wall/Box/Post) | — | 2 sq ft (wall), 1 sq ft (mailbox/lamppost) | — | — | One | Attached to wall, or mailbox/lamppost of the residence | — | §137-154F |
| Off-premises Directional Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | No more than 10 ft from ROW/15 ft from cartway if applicable | Four | Public right-of-way or up to 10 ft from ROW/15 ft from cartway if ROW not contiguous with front lot line | — | §137-154H |

### Business Park District (BP), Industrial District (I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Special Event Display | — | Aggregate surface area not to exceed 20 sq ft per establishment; not to exceed 100 sq ft total if multiple establishments | — | — | 2 per establishment at any one time | Affixed to building or structure of pole sign, or anchored to ground. Not in ROW or on sidewalk. | — | §137-156A |
| Changeable Copy Sign | — | 30 sq ft | — | — | One | Affixed to wall or pole sign | — | §137-156B |
| Wall Sign | — | Up to 100 sq ft per lot (all wall signage types) | — | — | — | On building. Wall, gable, hip, gambrel or mansard roof (if no projection above ridge/deckline); not allowed on side/rear walls facing residential property | — | §137-156C(1) |
| Window Sign (Above Street Floor) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | One | In a window above street floor | — | §137-156C(2) |
| Ground Sign | 6 ft | 48 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property line; 10 ft from ROW or 15 ft from cartway as applicable | One per lot | Freestanding, per lot; not permitted where pole sign exists or is proposed | — | §137-156C(4)(b) |
| Pole Sign | 20 ft (top of sign); 8 ft (bottom edge minimum) | 40 sq ft (one business); 64 sq ft (more than one business); neither dimension less than 5 ft | — | 10 ft from property line or ROW; 15 ft from cartway if required | One per lot | Freestanding, per lot; not permitted where ground sign exists or is proposed | — | §137-156C(5) |
| Canopy Sign | — | 32 sq ft (included in aggregate if other wall signs exist) | — | — | One per business establishment | On canopy or projecting from wall | — | §137-156C(6) |
| Monument Sign | 20 ft | 64 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines and ROW | One per site with two or more businesses | At site with two or more businesses; not permitted where ground or pole sign exists/proposed | — | §137-156C(7) |

### Commercial District (C-1, C-2, C-3), C-3 District, C Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Special Event Display | — | Aggregate surface area not to exceed 20 sq ft per establishment; not to exceed 100 sq ft total per site | — | — | 2 per establishment at any one time | Affixed to building, structure of pole sign, or anchored to ground. Not in ROW or on sidewalk. | — | §137-156A |
| Changeable Copy Sign | — | 30 sq ft | — | — | One | Affixed to wall or pole sign | — | §137-156B |
| Window Sign (Above Street Floor) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | One | In a window above street floor | — | §137-156C(2) |
| A-frame or Sandwich Board Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | One per business | In C-3 District only, on private property in business area | — | §137-156C(3) and §137-153A(1) |
| Ground Sign | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property line, ROW, or 15 ft from cartway | One per lot | Freestanding, per lot; not permitted where pole sign exists or is proposed | — | §137-156C(4)(b) |
| Pole Sign | 20 ft (top of sign); 8 ft (bottom edge minimum) | 40 sq ft (one business); 64 sq ft (more than one business); neither dimension less than 5 ft | — | 10 ft from property line, ROW, or 15 ft from cartway | One per lot | Freestanding, per lot; not permitted where ground sign exists or is proposed | — | §137-156C(5) |
| Monument Sign | 20 ft | 64 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property lines/ROW | One per site with two or more businesses | At site with two or more businesses; not permitted where ground or pole sign exists/proposed | — | §137-156C(7) |
| Billboard | 40 ft (above curb) | 450 sq ft per sign face (max 2 faces; back-to-back or V configuration) | 25 ft length; 20 ft height (sign face) | 10 ft min from ROW; 100 ft from R zone/school/church/cemetery; minimum side/rear yard as principal use; 500 ft from other billboards. | — | Only in C-3 (by special exception, Zoning Hearing Board) and not within 100 ft of any R zone, school, church, or cemetery. Minimum 500 ft between billboards, min 10 ft to ROW. | — | §137-157 |

## Prohibited signs in South Park Township

- A-frame or sandwich board signs, other than in the C-3 District, are not permitted.
- Portable or wheeled signs, other than temporary special event displays authorized by this chapter, are not permitted.
- Banners, other than temporary special event displays authorized by this chapter, are not permitted.
- Inflatable display devices of any kind, other than temporary special event displays authorized by this chapter, are not permitted.
- Searchlights, other than temporary special event displays authorized by this chapter, are not permitted.
- Oscillating, moving or flashing signs, except for that portion of a permitted sign which indicates time or temperature which changes at intervals no less frequent than every five seconds, are not permitted.
- Signs on trees, utility poles or official traffic control devices or signals are not permitted.
- Signs which imitate traffic control devices are not permitted.
- Signs, other than public art, 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 article, are not permitted.
- Overhanging signs, as defined herein, are not permitted.
- Signs on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers which 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 service at any location) which 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.
- Billboards or signs mounted, affixed or attached to any vehicle, motor vehicle or trailer operated, maneuvered or towed on or upon any street, avenue, alley, road or right-of-way in the Township are prohibited. This does not include logos, letters, numbers, symbols, decals and artwork painted, pasted or magnetically affixed to a vehicle that does not alter the vehicle’s dimensions.
- Electronic billboards, as defined herein, are not permitted.
- No sign shall be located so as to obstruct visibility for street traffic or obscure a traffic signal or traffic control device.
- No sign, other than official traffic 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 (as defined by §137-135D).
- Light sources for signs shall not be visible from any street right-of-way, nor cause glare hazardous or distracting to pedestrians, vehicle drivers, or adjacent properties.
- No more than 0.2 footcandle of light shall be detectable at the boundary of any abutting property from a sign.
- Internally illuminated signs must comply with strict brightness limits (1,500 nits day, 150 nits night) and be automatically adjustable by ambient light sensors.
- Any internally illuminated sign display containing animation, streaming video, or text or images which flash, pulsate, move or scroll is prohibited.
- Any display that is interactive is prohibited.
- Each message on an internally illuminated sign must fit on one screen, be static in intensity, and transitions must be instantaneous (no fades).
- Signs must be maintained in good condition; unsafe signs are declared public nuisances and must be repaired or removed.
- Whenever any business is discontinued or vacated, all related signs must be removed within 30 days.
- Nonconforming signs may not be enlarged, moved, or converted to illuminated, digital, or electronic copy signs unless fully compliant with all regulations.
- Nonconforming signs damaged or destroyed by more than 51% of value may only be reconstructed if fully compliant.

## Signs exempt from permit in South Park Township

- Residential identification signs, as defined, are exempt.
- Holiday decorations for recognized federal or state holidays are exempt, provided they do not interfere with traffic safety or become a public safety hazard.
- Memorial/historical plaques, as defined, are exempt.
- Window displays, as defined, provided they do not exceed 20% of the total gross surface area of all display windows at ground level on the street side(s) of the building, are exempt.
- Signs authorized by the Board of Supervisors or erected by a governmental agency, including street signs, official traffic signs and public art approved as part of a land development plan, are exempt (but off-premises directional signs by non-governmental entities are not exempt).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs must comply with the general sign regulations of Article XXII (§137-151 et seq.), which apply to all zoning districts.
- Permits are required for all signs except off-premises directional signs erected by a governmental agency, notification, real estate, political, and construction signs (§137-153J).
- The Zoning Officer shall issue sign permits upon submission of an application complying with all regulations and payment of the fee (§137-153J).
- Signs that qualify as public art must be approved by the Board of Supervisors as part of an approved land development plan (§137-152B(15)).
- A sign plan (master sign plan) is not explicitly referenced in the provided text, but references to 'approved land development plan' imply a coordinated submission is required for public art and possibly for signage on multi-business sites.
- Billboards are permitted only as uses by special exception on property in C-3 and I Districts following a public hearing by the Zoning Hearing Board (§137-157).
- Applications for billboards require approvals from the Allegheny County Department of Aviation/FAA if applicable, and PennDOT (for state highway billboards); approval of use by special exception expires if a permit is not obtained in 6 months (§137-157F).
- All applications for illuminated signs must include certification that luminance levels will comply at the time of application and again prior to the issuance of an occupancy permit (§137-153G(2)(c)).
- Board of Supervisors approval is required for some exemptions (e.g., public art), and for certain types of signs in specific zones (e.g., billboards, with conditional use approval and public hearing).

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

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