# Sign Regulations in Swarthmore Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Swarthmore Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/swarthmore-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-20

## At a glance

Swarthmore Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 22 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Free-standing Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and Copy area: 16 sq ft per side or as determined by frontage; Background: 24 sq ft or as determined., with a Min. 4 ft from sidewalk. Only if 10 ft or greater front yard. setback (Sec. 1266.03(s), 1266.03(q), 1266.03(r)). Most commercial signs in Swarthmore Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | 6 ft | Copy area: 16 sq ft per side or as determined by frontage; Background: 24 sq ft or as determined. | — |
| Residential Districts | 4 | — | 12 sq ft | — |
| AR Apartment Residential Districts | 3 | — | 12 sq ft per street faced | — |
| TC Town Center District, IN-C Institutional Commercial District | 10 | 35 ft | 76 sq ft | — |
| IN Institutional District, PA Parks Districts | 1 | — | 12 sq ft copy area (except permitted free-standing sign: see Free-standing Sign type for those zones) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Back Wall, Delivery Area) | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | — | Back wall of building in delivery area | — | 1266.03(p) |
| Free-standing Sign | 6 ft | Copy area: 16 sq ft per side or as determined by frontage; Background: 24 sq ft or as determined. | — | Min. 4 ft from sidewalk. Only if 10 ft or greater front yard. | — | Permitted only in TC, IN-C, IN, AR, and PA Districts in front yards of at least 10 ft depth and where not interfering with pedestrian/vehicular movement. | — | 1266.03(s), 1266.03(q), 1266.03(r) |
| For Sale or For Rent Sign | — | 5 sq ft | — | — | 1 per premises; 1 per street on corner lots | On premises referred to in sign | — | 1266.03(u) |
| Contractor/Designer Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On premises where work is performed | — | 1266.03(v) |
| Temporary Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | 10 ft from curb for temporary free-standing signs. | — | — | — | 1266.09(a)-(d) |

### Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign (Home-based business, family day-care, bed and breakfast) | — | 0.75 sq ft copy area, 3 sq ft background area | — | — | 1 | On premises | — | 1266.04(a)(1), (b) |
| Contractor/Designer Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises where work is performed | — | 1266.04(a)(2), (b) |
| Development Sign - Option 1 | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On premises under active development | — | 1266.04(a)(4), (b) |
| Directional Sign (Open House) | — | — | — | — | — | Within 48 hours of open house event | — | 1266.04(a)(5) |

### TC Town Center District, IN-C Institutional Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall or Fascia Sign | Placed not more than 16 ft or less than 4 ft above sidewalk; may not project above any cornice, parapet wall, roofline, or above the lintel of highest window on ground floor facade. | 36 sq ft (individual), 200 sq ft (aggregate copy area) | — | — | Aggregate area and individual sign limits specified | Any facade facing a street (if business has multiple street exposures) | — | 1266.06(a), 1266.03(a), (q), (r) |
| Awning Sign | No portion above window sill level of lowest story above ground floor/mezzanine or above 16 ft/roofline (whichever is lower) | Aggregate included in wall sign calculations | — | — | — | Awnings on building facade | — | 1266.06(a)(5) |
| Projecting Sign | No base less than 8 ft above ground; max top at lintel of second story window or 15 ft above grade, whichever is less | 15 sq ft (individual) | May not project more than 4 ft from face of building or 1/2 width of adjacent sidewalk, whichever is greater | — | Aggregate of 1 sq ft per 5 linear ft of facade | Attached to facade | — | 1266.06(b), 1266.03(a), (q), (r) |
| Window Sign (Permanent Opaque) | — | 20% of total window area | — | — | — | Inside or on window or door | — | 1266.06(c)(1) |
| Window Sign (Applied Letters/Graphics) | — | 10% of total window area | — | — | — | Inside or on window or door | — | 1266.06(c)(2) |
| Billboard | 35 ft | 76 sq ft | — | See additional requirements for spacing | — | — | — | 1266.06(f) |
| Electronic Window Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per window | Window (interior) | — | 1266.03(j), (q), (r); 1266.03(t) |
| Menu Board (Window) | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | — | Window | — | 1266.06(g) |

## Prohibited signs in Swarthmore Borough

- No roof sign shall be permitted.
- No sign, except those placed by an authorized governmental agency, shall be placed on a public right-of-way.
- No sign shall interfere with traffic, be confused with or obstruct the view or effectiveness of any official traffic sign, traffic signal or traffic marking or obstruct the sight distance of motorists or pedestrians.
- No portable signs are allowed, except easel signs, which may be allowed by permit.
- No sign shall use flashing, blinking, twinkling, animated or moving light or any technology that presents an illusion of movement. A constant level of light shall be maintained except for purposes of dimming at night.
- No sign shall be attached to a tree or utility pole.
- Wind or forced air actuated signs are prohibited.
- Permanent signs with removable letters are not allowed.
- Internally lit signs are prohibited.
- All signs not specifically allowed are prohibited.
- Signs no longer in use must be removed by the owner.
- Existing signs, not in conformance with this chapter and that have been previously permitted, shall be brought into conformance when there is a change of tenant, use or owner, or when the sign is replaced or is substantially repaired or altered.
- All signs must be legible, well painted, in good repair, properly maintained and sturdy enough for safe work.
- No fabric banners advertising events sponsored by public or nonprofit organizations may be displayed in Residential Districts.
- Electronic signs are not allowed except in TC Town Center District and IN-C Institutional Commercial District as specified.

## Signs exempt from permit in Swarthmore Borough

- Temporary signs announcing a political, public, educational, charitable, civic, religious or similar campaign or event are permitted without the necessity of obtaining a permit.
- This chapter shall not apply to traffic control signs and directional signs, parking place designations and information signs located on off-street parking lots.
- Informational signs such as 'entrance', 'exit', 'no parking', 'visitor's parking', 'no trespassing', 'keep off the grass' and the like on the same lot as the use to which the sign relates are not regulated by this chapter, provided each said sign does not exceed two square feet in copy area and multiple signs are uniform in appearance.
- In the RA, RB, and RC districts, information signs identifying the street address of the house or resident's name may be located in the front yard setback.
- Signs, banners, and canopies suspended over a street or sidewalk displaying the National Flag or Emblem do not require a permit.
- Murals are not considered signs and are not regulated by this chapter.
- Signs not fronting Borough streets and signs that are within the interior of a lot, generally not visible from adjoining properties or public streets and rights-of-way, are exempt from the provisions of section 1266.07.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs, except temporary signs, require a permit indicating compliance with the chapter. Applicant must submit a shop drawing of any proposed sign showing a scaled layout of all text and graphics in the context of the building and/or window(s) where the sign(s) will be placed.
- No sign, except temporary signs, shall be erected, altered or extended until a permit has been issued.
- Signs erected by an owner or builder in connection with the active development of a premises in a Residential District may be erected upon application and granting of a permit.
- Billboards in the TC Town Center and IN-C Institutional Commercial Districts require a special exception.

## 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 5 zoning districts in Swarthmore Borough — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Swarthmore+Borough+PA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-swarthmore-borough

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/swarthmore-borough