# Sign Regulations in Unity Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Unity Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/unity-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/8451923#8451923)

## At a glance

Unity Township, Pennsylvania regulates 32 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the Commercial Districts, B-1 (Rural Commercial), B-2 (Community Commercial), B-3 (Office Commercial) zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and 24 sq ft, with a At least 10 ft from property line/ROW setback (Sec. §118-32(E)(2), §118-32(B)). Most commercial signs in Unity Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 11 | 6 ft in residential, 10 ft in other zones | 216 sq in (12 x 18 in) | — |
| Residential Zoning Districts, R District | 3 | — | 24 sq ft | — |
| Commercial Districts, B-1 (Rural Commercial), B-2 (Community Commercial), B-3 (Office Commercial) | 15 | 20 ft max | 120 sq ft per side OR 200 sq ft for four+ in <100,000 sq ft complex OR 300 sq ft for four+ in 100,000+ sq ft complex | — |
| Industrial Districts, M-1 | 15 | 20 ft max | 200 sq ft | — |
| Institutional Districts, I, I-AP | 14 | 20 ft max | 300 sq ft per side, 600 sq ft aggregate | — |
| B-1 (Rural Commercial), B-2 (Community Commercial), B-3 (Office Commercial), I (Institutional), M-1 | 2 | 40 ft above curb; 20 ft height per sign face; 25 ft max width | 225 sq ft per face; max 2 faces back-to-back or V-config (90° or less) | — |

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

### Commercial Districts, B-1 (Rural Commercial), B-2 (Community Commercial), B-3 (Office Commercial)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Special Event Display | — | Aggregate 40 sq ft per establishment, max 100 sq ft per site w/ multiple establishments | — | — | 2 per establishment; 1 A-frame per site | Attached to building or pole sign; one sandwich board/A-frame up to 6 sq ft permitted on private property | — | §118-32(A) |
| Wall Sign | Not above bldg height | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business establishment | Front wall of each business establishment/tenant | — | §118-32(E)(1) |
| Ground Sign | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; minimum 10 ft from all property lines or ROW | — | §118-32(E)(2), §118-32(B) |
| Pole Sign (One Occupant) | 20 ft max | 60 sq ft per side | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; minimum 10 ft from all property lines or ROW | — | §118-32(E)(3), §118-29(P) |
| Pole Sign (Two Occupants) | 20 ft max | 90 sq ft per side | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; min 10 ft from all property lines | — | §118-32(E)(3)(e)[2] |
| Pole Sign (Three or More Occupants) | 20 ft max | 120 sq ft per side OR 200 sq ft for four+ in <100,000 sq ft complex OR 300 sq ft for four+ in 100,000+ sq ft complex | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; min 10 ft from all property lines/ROW | — | §118-32(E)(3)(e)[3]-[5] |
| Electronic Sign (B-1, B-2, M-1) | 5 ft for display area; pole-mounted: min 8 ft bottom, max 20 ft top | 40 sq ft per side, 80 sq ft aggregate | — | — | 1 per property | Integrated with ground or pole sign; not allowed as wall, roof, or arcade sign | — | §118-32(F)(2); §118-32(G)(1); §118-32(F)(2)(i)-(k) |
| Electronic Sign (B-3) | 5 ft for display area; pole-mounted: min 8 ft bottom, max 20 ft top | 40 sq ft per side, 80 sq ft aggregate; Shopping centers (large retail) may have 60 sq ft per side, 120 sq ft total | — | — | 1 per property | Integrated with ground or pole sign; not allowed as wall, roof, or arcade sign | — | §118-32(G)(2) |

### Industrial Districts, M-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Special Event Display | — | Aggregate 40 sq ft per establishment, max 100 sq ft per site w/ multiple establishments | — | — | 2 per establishment; 1 A-frame per site | Attached to building or pole sign; one sandwich board/A-frame up to 6 sq ft permitted on private property | — | §118-32(A) |
| Wall Sign | Not above bldg height | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business establishment | Front wall of each business establishment/tenant | — | §118-32(E)(1) |
| Ground Sign | 6 ft | 64 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; minimum 10 ft from all property lines or ROW | — | §118-32(E)(2), §118-32(B) |
| Pole Sign (One Occupant) | 20 ft max | 60 sq ft per side | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; minimum 10 ft from all property lines or ROW | — | §118-32(E)(3), §118-29(P) |
| Pole Sign (Two Occupants) | 20 ft max | 90 sq ft per side | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; min 10 ft from all property lines | — | §118-32(E)(3)(e)[2] |
| Pole Sign (Three or More Occupants) | 20 ft max | 120 sq ft per side OR 200 sq ft for four+ in <100,000 sq ft complex OR 300 sq ft for four+ in 100,000+ sq ft complex | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; min 10 ft from all property lines/ROW | — | §118-32(E)(3)(e)[3]-[5] |
| Roof Sign (Industrial Only) | Not project more than 6 ft above roof | 200 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building | Above roof, one per building | — | §118-32(E)(4) |
| Electronic Sign (M-1) | 5 ft for display area; pole-mounted: min 8 ft bottom, max 20 ft top | 40 sq ft per side, 80 sq ft aggregate | — | — | 1 per property | Integrated with ground or pole sign; not allowed as wall, roof, or arcade sign | — | §118-32(F)(2); §118-32(G)(1); §118-32(F)(2)(i)-(k) |

### Institutional Districts, I, I-AP

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Special Event Display | — | Aggregate 40 sq ft per establishment, max 100 sq ft per site w/ multiple establishments | — | — | 2 per establishment; 1 A-frame per site | Attached to building or pole sign; one sandwich board/A-frame up to 6 sq ft permitted on private property | — | §118-32(A) |
| Multi-Tenant Commercial Development Identification Sign | — | Per ground/pole sign standards (see Ground Sign/ Pole Sign in this section) | — | — | 1 per development | At entry to commercial development; can be on decorative wall | — | §118-32(B) |
| Wall Sign | Not above bldg height | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business establishment | Front wall of each business establishment/tenant | — | §118-32(E)(1) |
| Ground Sign | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; minimum 10 ft from all property lines or ROW | — | §118-32(E)(2), §118-32(B) |
| Pole Sign (One Occupant) | 20 ft max | 60 sq ft per side | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; minimum 10 ft from all property lines or ROW | — | §118-32(E)(3), §118-29(P) |
| Pole Sign (Two Occupants) | 20 ft max | 90 sq ft per side | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; min 10 ft from all property lines | — | §118-32(E)(3)(e)[2] |
| Pole Sign (Three or More Occupants) | 20 ft max | 120 sq ft per side OR 200 sq ft for four+ in <100,000 sq ft complex OR 300 sq ft for four+ in 100,000+ sq ft complex | — | At least 10 ft from property line/ROW | 1 per development | Freestanding; min 10 ft from all property lines/ROW | — | §118-32(E)(3)(e)[3]-[5] |
| Electronic Sign (I, I-AP) | 5 ft for display area; pole-mounted: min 8 ft bottom, max 20 ft top | 300 sq ft per side, 600 sq ft aggregate | — | — | 1 per property | Integrated with ground or pole sign; not allowed as wall, roof, or arcade sign | — | §118-32(G)(3), §118-32(F) |

## Prohibited signs in Unity Township

- A-frame or sandwich board signs, except when authorized as temporary special event displays.
- Portable or wheeled signs.
- Banners and pennants, other than temporary special event displays and temporary business identification signs authorized by this article.
- Balloons or inflatable structures of any kind, except when authorized as temporary special event displays.
- Moving or flashing signs, except for that portion of a permitted sign which indicates time or temperature.
- Signs on trees, utility poles or official traffic control devices or signs.
- Signs which imitate or have features similar to traffic control devices.
- Signs painted on walls or chimneys of a building or on fences or walls, other than murals or similar decorative displays on building walls which do not contain any advertising other than the name of the artist and a small acknowledgment of the sponsor of the display.
- Overhanging signs, as defined herein.
- No sign shall be located, placed or constructed where it will cause a hazard, obstruct the visibility of traffic exiting or entering a street, or obscure a traffic signal or other traffic control device.
- No sign, other than official traffic signs and off-street premises directional signs, shall hang over or be erected within the right-of-way of any street.
- Flashing or oscillating signs, or the flashing or oscillating illumination thereof, is prohibited.
- All lighting for signs shall be stationary and constant in intensity and color at all times.
- The intensity of any source of sign illumination shall not create glare nor affect or interfere with the intensity of ambient light on surrounding properties.
- No sign shall exceed 20 feet in height except where otherwise specified.
- Except for billboards, political signs, real estate directional signs and temporary step-in signs, all signs shall be located within the area of the property they are intended to serve.
- Signs must be constructed of durable material and maintained in good condition — unsafe signs are declared a public nuisance.
- Business signs must be removed within 30 days of business discontinuation or vacancy.
- No flashing, moving, or noise-emitting sign faces, structure, or lighting on billboards.

## Signs exempt from permit in Unity Township

- Residential identification signs, as defined in the ordinance.
- Holiday decorations displayed for recognized federal or state holidays, provided they do not interfere with traffic safety or create a public safety hazard.
- Memorial/historical plaques, as defined in the ordinance.
- Window displays, as defined in the ordinance, provided they shall not exceed 20% of the gross surface area of all windows in an establishment.
- Signs erected by a governmental agency, including street signs and official traffic signs, but not including off-premises directional signs regulated elsewhere.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs constructed, placed or maintained within the Township require a permit unless specifically exempted (notification, real estate, political and construction signs, and off-premises directional signs erected by a governmental agency; all other signs require permits).
- Billboards require approvals from other agencies (Westmoreland County Department of Aviation or FAA, when applicable) before applying for a sign permit. They also require conditional use approval with Planning Commission recommendation and public hearing by Board of Supervisors.
- Any new electronic billboard must obtain the same conditional use approval as a standard billboard pursuant to the terms of this section.
- Special exceptions (variance) may be granted for electronic signs along specified corridors (Route 30 and Route 981) by the Zoning Hearing Board after a finding and written decision.
- For temporary step-in signs, permits are required and are obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer.
- Applications for real estate directional signs (REDS) must be made by the manager or director of a licensed real estate brokerage office, with limits on numbers and specific permitting requirements.
- The Zoning Officer shall issue required permits upon submission of applications complying with all applicable provisions and payment of fees.
- Permit expiration provisions apply; permits expire automatically within six months if not acted upon (except as otherwise set for particular sign types).

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

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