# Sign Regulations in Thornburg Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Thornburg Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/thornburg-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/35849008#35849008)

## At a glance

Thornburg Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 11 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Billboards in the Industrial Districts, I-1 General Industrial District zoning district are capped at 20 ft (above curb of road) tall, 200 sq ft per face, max two faces, and 20 ft per sign face wide, with a 100 ft from 'S', 'P', 'R', school, church, cemetery; 10 ft from public street ROW; minimum side/rear yards as for principal structure; 750 ft from another billboard setback (Sec. §27-1206A-G). Most commercial signs in Thornburg Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — |
| "S" Conservancy Zoning District, "R" Residential Zoning District | 3 | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — |
| Industrial Districts, I-1 General Industrial District | 6 | 20 ft (above curb of road) | 200 sq ft per face, max two faces | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bulletin Sign | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | 1 per use | — | — | §27-1204A |
| Real Estate Sign | 6 ft | 6 sq ft (in 'S' Conservancy or 'R' Residential); 12 sq ft (all other districts) | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | §27-1204B, §27-1203J |
| Construction Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | §27-1204C |
| Political Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §27-1204D, §27-1203A |
| Residential Identification Sign | 6 in | 1 sq ft (1 ft long x 6 in high) | 1 ft | — | 1 per dwelling | Mounted on wall of single-family dwelling | — | §27-1204E |
| Public Park Identification Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per entrance | At each entrance to public park | — | §27-1204F |
| Notification Sign (Private Property) | — | 2 sq ft per sign | — | — | 1 per 100 ft of road frontage | On private property along road frontages | — | §27-1203E |

### "S" Conservancy Zoning District, "R" Residential Zoning District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign | 6 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | §27-1204B |
| Construction Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | §27-1204C |
| Residential Identification Sign | 6 in | 1 sq ft (1 ft long x 6 in high) | 1 ft | — | 1 per dwelling | Mounted on wall of single-family dwelling | — | §27-1204E |

### Industrial Districts, I-1 General Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Identification Sign - Wall | Not above the building | 1 sq ft per lineal foot of business frontage, max 64 sq ft | — | — | Aggregate area restriction per business | On front wall; on side or rear only if frontage not facing residential property | — | §27-1205A(1)-(2), §27-1203C, §27-1203J |
| Business Identification Sign - Ground | 6 ft | 16 sq ft | — | 10 ft from property line/right-of-way; 15 ft from cartway if right-of-way not contiguous | 1 per lot | Freestanding; at least 10 ft from property line or right-of-way; 15 ft from cartway if right-of-way is not contiguous | — | §27-1205B, §27-1203J |
| Real Estate Sign (Temporary) | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | §27-1203J(1)-(d), §27-1204B |
| Bulletin Sign | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | 1 per use | — | — | §27-1204A |
| Construction Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | §27-1204C |
| Billboard | 20 ft (above curb of road) | 200 sq ft per face, max two faces | 20 ft per sign face | 100 ft from 'S', 'P', 'R', school, church, cemetery; 10 ft from public street ROW; minimum side/rear yards as for principal structure; 750 ft from another billboard | Per conditional use approval | As conditional use only. Not permitted within 100 ft of 'S', 'P', or 'R' districts, or schools, churches, cemeteries; not over any sidewalk or public right-of-way; not mounted on building or structure; minimum spacing 750 ft from any other billboard. | — | §27-1206A-G |

## Prohibited signs in Thornburg Borough

- "A-frame" or sandwich board signs are not permitted in any Zoning District.
- Portable or wheeled signs are not permitted in any Zoning District.
- Banners are not permitted in any Zoning District.
- Inflatable display devices of any kind are not permitted in any Zoning District.
- Search lights, oscillating, moving or flashing signs are not permitted, except for the portion of a permitted sign which indicates time or temperature changing at intervals no more frequently than every five seconds.
- Signs on trees, utility poles or official traffic control devices or signs are not permitted.
- Signs which imitate traffic control devices are not permitted.
- Signs 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 are not permitted except for displays specifically authorized by this chapter.
- Overhanging signs, as defined in the ordinance, are not permitted.
- Signs on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers parked on public rights-of-way, public property, or private property (except temporarily for overnight storage, maintenance, repair, loading, unloading, or rendering a service), where visible from the public right-of-way, and where the apparent purpose is advertising, are not permitted.
- No sign shall be located to cause a hazard by obstructing visibility for street traffic or obscure a traffic signal or other control device.
- No sign, except official traffic or off-premises directional signs, shall hang over or be erected within the designated clear sight triangle.
- Flashing or oscillating signs are not permitted.
- All sign lighting must be stationary and constant in intensity and color, and illumination must not create glare or be incompatible with ambient light or illumination on surrounding properties.
- Billboards are subject to prohibitions on moving or flashing lights, use of colored lighting, construction over sidewalks/public ROW, proximity to certain districts or uses, and cannot be mounted on buildings.
- Whenever any business is discontinued or vacated, all signs related to that business must be removed within 30 days of the vacation or discontinuance.
- Except for billboards and political signs where authorized, all signs must be located on the premises which they are intended to serve.

## Signs exempt from permit in Thornburg Borough

- Holiday decorations displayed for recognized Federal or State holidays, provided they do not interfere with traffic safety or do not become a public safety hazard.
- Memorial/historical plaques, as defined in the ordinance.
- Signs authorized by Borough Council or erected by a governmental agency, including street signs and official traffic signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Permits are generally required for all signs except those erected by a governmental agency or for notification, political, construction, or real estate signs as defined by §27-1202B, except that temporary real estate signs in the I-1 District require a permit.
- The Zoning Officer shall issue required permits upon submission of an application that complies with all provisions of the chapter and payment of the required fee.
- A traffic control signage plan and supporting documentation must be submitted for approval and installation prior to occupancy of any dwellings (see §22-607).
- Billboards require a conditional use approval via a public hearing by Borough Council before application for a sign permit.

## Full detail

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

---

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