# Sign Regulations in Tarentum Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Tarentum Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/tarentum-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/12578858#12578858)

## At a glance

Tarentum Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 26 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Menu Board Sign (Primary)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 8 feet tall and 36 square feet, with a 75 feet from residential zoning district setback (Sec. §265-706.A(1)(a)-(2)).

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Commercial Center CC District, Highway Commercial and Manufacturing District (HCM) | 13 | 6 feet | 200 square feet | — |
| RRO Rural Resource Overlay District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Residential districts, Overlay districts | 12 | 6 feet | 400 square feet | — |
| Shopping centers and office parks | 5 | 15 feet | 150 square feet | — |
| Traditional neighborhood development | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 8 feet | 40 square feet, 8 feet height | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### Commercial Center CC District, Highway Commercial and Manufacturing District (HCM)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Box sign) | Three feet for letter height | 200 square feet | — | — | Multiple wall signs allowed; cumulative area applies | Any building facade | — | §265-704.B(1)-(7) |
| Wall Sign (Screened box sign with raised or recessed letters) | Three feet for letter height | 200 square feet | — | — | Multiple signs allowed; cumulative area applies | Any building facade | — | §265-704.B(1)-(7) |
| Wall Sign (Raceway-mounted channel letter sign) | Three feet for letter height | 200 square feet | — | — | Multiple signs allowed; cumulative area applies | Any building facade | — | §265-704.B(1)-(7) |
| Wall Sign (Pin-mounted channel letter sign) | Three feet for letter height | 200 square feet | — | — | Multiple signs allowed; cumulative area applies | Any building facade | — | §265-704.B(1)-(7) |
| Wall Sign (Distinctive materials/design sign) | Three feet for letter height | 200 square feet | — | — | Multiple signs allowed; cumulative area applies | Any building facade | — | §265-704.B(1)-(7) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 feet | 8 square feet | — | — | One per lot | Front yard with 10 feet or greater depth | — | §265-704.E(1)-(3) |
| Freestanding Sign (Distinctive materials/design) | 6 feet | 24 square feet | — | — | One per lot | Front yard with 10 feet or greater depth | — | §265-704.E(4) |
| Monument Sign | 6 feet | 24 square feet | — | — | One per lot | Front yard with 10 feet or greater depth | — | §265-704.E(4) |

### Residential districts, Overlay districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Box sign) | — | 400 square feet | — | — | Multiple wall signs permitted; cumulative area applies | Building facade of any principal building oriented to property lines adjoining nonresidential principal uses. | — | §265-705.A(1)(a)-(e) |
| Wall Sign (Screened box sign with raised/recessed letters) | — | 400 square feet | — | — | Multiple signs permitted; cumulative area applies | As above | — | §265-705.A(1)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Raceway-mounted channel letter sign) | — | 400 square feet | — | — | Multiple signs permitted; cumulative area applies | As above | — | §265-705.A(1)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Pin-mounted channel letter sign) | — | 400 square feet | — | — | Multiple signs permitted; cumulative area applies | As above | — | §265-705.A(1)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Distinctive materials/design sign) | — | 400 square feet | — | — | Multiple signs permitted; cumulative area applies | As above | — | §265-705.A(1)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 feet | 16 square feet | — | — | One per lot | Front yard (on stand-alone lot with yard of 10 feet or greater) | — | §265-705.A(2)(a)-(c) |
| Freestanding Sign (Distinctive materials/design) | 6 feet | 24 square feet | — | — | One per lot | Front yard (on stand-alone lot with yard of 10 feet or greater) | — | §265-705.A(2)(d) |
| Monument Sign | 6 feet | 24 square feet | — | — | One per lot | Front yard (on stand-alone lot with yard of 10 feet or greater) | — | §265-705.A(2)(d) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Menu Board Sign (Primary) | 8 feet | 36 square feet | — | 75 feet from residential zoning district | Max 2 per order station | Accessory to drive-through order station (max 2 per establishment) | — | §265-706.A(1)(a)-(2) |
| Menu Board Sign (Secondary) | 6 feet | 15 square feet | — | 75 feet from residential zoning district | 1 secondary menu board per order station | — | — | §265-706.A(1)(b) |
| Neighborhood/subdivision identification sign (Monument) | 8 feet | 40 square feet, 8 feet height | — | — | 1 per group of multifamily dwellings | As entrance feature to neighborhoods/subdivisions | — | §265-706.B |
| Neighborhood/subdivision identification sign (Distinctive materials/design freestanding) | — | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 per group of multifamily dwellings | Freestanding at entrance | — | §265-706.B |
| Temporary Sign (Opening) | — | 16 square feet | — | — | One per establishment | Displayed for new nonresidential establishments | — | §265-706.C |
| Temporary Sign (Promotional event) | — | 24 square feet | — | — | One per establishment, 2 times/year | Onsite for promotional events | — | §265-706.C |

## Prohibited signs in Tarentum Borough

- No signs, advertisements, notices, notes, placards or communication of any kind unauthorized by the Public Safety Committee of Council are permitted to be placed against or attached to traffic signs and utility poles belonging to the Borough of Tarentum and/or utility poles within the borders of Tarentum of which the Borough has use or any poles in the public right-of-way.
- Obscene material, illustrations, or language shall not be depicted or displayed on any sign.
- Any signs not expressly authorized within this article are prohibited.
- Flashing signs are prohibited.
- Banners, series of balloons, and pennants are prohibited.
- Balloons and other inflatable objects with a diameter of two feet or greater are prohibited.
- Signs larger than two square feet that are suspended by chains, ropes, or other means designed to allow the sign to swing or move freely are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs affixed directly to a tree, utility pole, light pole, traffic control device, barn, shed, or roof of a building or structure are prohibited.
- Back-lit, translucent awnings or canopies are prohibited.
- Permanent signs made of plywood, pressed board, MDO or non-exterior-grade wood products are prohibited.
- Signs attached to or painted on a licensed vehicle within a residential zoning district if such sign is visible from a public street where such is displayed with the intent of advertising are prohibited.
- Signs shall not block required sight distance at intersections of streets and access roads and driveways to streets.
- No sign or structure shall be erected at any location where, by reason of the position, shape or color of the sign or structure, it may interfere with, obstruct the view of or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device or public directional, emergency, or street signage.
- All external lighting associated with signs shall be provided as indirect lighting.

## Signs exempt from permit in Tarentum Borough

- Public, semipublic, and commemorative signs and monuments including signs established by, or by order of, any governmental agency; and religious symbols, commemorative plaques of recognized historic agencies, or identification emblems of religious orders or historic agencies.
- Signs indicating the address or name of a building up to two square feet for single-family dwellings and six square feet for all other uses.
- One 'For Sale' or 'For Rent' sign is allowed per street frontage. Such signs must be removed within seven days after the sale, rental, or lease has been accomplished.
- 'For Sale' or 'For Rent' signs on lots containing a single-family dwelling unit or zoned for single-family residential development may not exceed nine square feet in area.
- 'For Sale' or 'For Rent' signs on lots containing principal uses other than single-family dwellings may not exceed the greater of 32 square feet or 0.25 square feet of sign area per each linear foot of street frontage for the first 150 feet of street frontage and 0.10 square feet of sign area for each linear foot of street frontage for street frontage in excess of 150 feet, not to exceed 150 square feet.
- One construction sign is allowed per street frontage during the time that construction or development activity is occurring on the subject lot, subject to size limitations (12 sq ft for single-family, 32 sq ft for others).
- Holiday decorations on private property clearly incidental, customary, and commonly associated with national, local or religious holidays are allowed, provided they are displayed for a period of not more than 60 days for each holiday.
- One sign per lot not exceeding two square feet with the name of a business operating as a home occupation on the lot.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- There is no explicit mention of a master sign plan, sign plan, or required variance meeting in the provided ordinances.

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

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