# Sign Regulations in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/upper-darby-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/33162585#33162585)

## At a glance

Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania regulates 23 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Billboards in the Commercial Districts (C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4) zoning district are capped at Must not exceed max building height of district plus 20 ft tall and 300 square feet, with a 35 ft from street right-of-way; 500 ft from other billboard; Out of sight triangle setback (Sec. § 550-37H(1)-(7), (K)). Most commercial signs in Upper Darby Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts (R-C, R-C-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4), RO Overlay District, CRO Overlay District | 2 | — | 288 square inches | — |
| Recreation District (REC) | 3 | — | 16 square feet per sign | — |
| Commercial Districts (C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4) | 8 | Must not exceed max building height of district plus 20 ft | 300 square feet | — |
| C-2 District, C-4 District | 1 | 20 feet above max building height allowed in district | 300 square feet | — |
| C-3 District | 1 | — | 5 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 9 | 6 ft above ground level | 144 square inches (private residences only) | — |

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

### Recreation District (REC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | — | 16 square feet per sign | — | Freestanding: 10 ft from right-of-way; Ground: 3 ft from right-of-way. See § 550-37E(1)(c), (2)(c). | 1 wall sign and 1 freestanding or ground sign per lot frontage | Not more than one wall sign and one freestanding or ground sign for each lot frontage | — | § 550-37G(2)(a)-(d),(K) |
| Ground Sign | — | 16 square feet per sign | — | Ground: 3 ft from right-of-way. See § 550-37E(2)(c). | 1 wall sign and 1 freestanding or ground sign per lot frontage | Not more than one wall sign and one freestanding or ground sign for each lot frontage | — | § 550-37G(2)(a)-(d),(K) |
| Wall Sign | — | 16 square feet per sign | — | — | 1 wall sign and 1 freestanding or ground sign per lot frontage | Not more than one wall sign and one freestanding or ground sign for each lot frontage | — | § 550-37G(2)(a)-(d),(K) |

### Commercial Districts (C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Attached Sign (Wall, Window, etc.) | — | — | — | — | Maximum 3 per establishment | Attached to the establishment being advertised | — | § 550-37G(3)(b),(f),(g),(e),(K) |
| Freestanding or Ground Sign | — | — | — | Freestanding: 10 ft from right-of-way; Ground: 3 ft from right-of-way | One per street frontage | One per street frontage | — | § 550-37G(3)(b), (E)(1),(2), (K) |
| Shopping/Office Center Identifier Sign | — | 60 square feet for center identifier | — | — | One per lot frontage | One identifier sign per lot frontage; Individual businesses' panels affixed to this sign | — | § 550-37G(3)(c), (K) |
| Billboard | Must not exceed max building height of district plus 20 ft | 300 square feet | — | 35 ft from street right-of-way; 500 ft from other billboard; Out of sight triangle | No two within 500 ft of each other | Only in C-2 and C-4; 35 ft or more from right-of-way; Min. 500 ft from any other billboard | — | § 550-37H(1)-(7), (K) |
| Projecting Sign (C-3 District only) | — | 5 square feet | — | — | Not specified | Permitted in the public right-of-way; C-3 only | — | § 550-37E(8), (K) |
| Overhang Sign (Shopping Centers only) | — | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per establishment | Suspended from soffit/overhang covering walkway in shopping center | — | § 550-37E(7), (K) |
| Canopy or Awning Sign | — | — | — | 2 ft from curb; cannot extend more than 5 ft | — | Must have at least 2 ft setback from street curbline and cannot extend more than 5 ft from building line | — | § 550-37E(6), (K) |
| Changeable Electronic Variable Message Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 primary sign per premises with up to two (each side); See additional requirements | On conforming sign in commercial/industrial area | — | § 550-37I(1)-(9), (K) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (General Construction and Setback) | — | — | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | — | — | — | § 550-37E(1) |
| Ground Sign (General Construction and Setback) | 6 ft above ground level | — | — | 3 ft from street right-of-way | — | — | — | § 550-37E(2) |
| Temporary Sign (General) | — | Varies; 16 sq ft max per § 550-37F(13); per event 1/3 sq ft per linear ft building width | — | — | One per property (or two on certain corner lots) | Must not obstruct vehicular/pedestrian traffic or create safety hazard | — | § 550-37E(3), (F)(13) |
| Sales or Price Change Sign (Window/Door) | — | 50% of window/door area | — | — | — | Affixed inside window/door only. Not attached to fences/exterior walls. | — | § 550-37E(4),(F)(14) |
| Building Marker | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per building | On building | — | § 550-37F(3) |
| Nameplate Sign (General Exemption) | — | 144 square inches (private residences only) | — | — | 1 per residence | On private residences | — | § 550-37F(9) |
| Real Estate Sale/Rental Sign (Residential Districts) | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot frontage | On lot/premises for sale/rent | — | § 550-37F(6) |
| Real Estate Sale/Rental Sign (Nonresidential Districts) | — | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot frontage | On lot/premises for sale/rent | — | § 550-37F(6) |

## Prohibited signs in Upper Darby Township

- It is unlawful to erect or maintain animated, aerial, crane signs, or lighted moving signs, including automatic color-changing and rotating lamps.
- Bench or sidewalk signs or signs painted, attached or suspended from any outdoor bench, chair or similar structure are prohibited, except for bus stop shelter advertisements as regulated by other ordinances.
- Swinging signs are prohibited.
- Signs, letters, posters and advertisements tacked, pasted, tied or otherwise affixed to poles, posts, buildings, fences or other structures located on public property are prohibited.
- Portable signs are prohibited, except as defined under the section relating to temporary signs.
- Strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background are prohibited, except during the period between November 1 and January 15.
- Inflatable signs and tethered balloons are prohibited.
- Advertising cloth or paper banners or similar signs suspended or hung on any property are prohibited, except for temporary banners that comply with temporary sign regulations.
- Signs placed on vehicles or trailers which are parked or located for the primary purpose of displaying the signs are prohibited. This does not apply to lettering on buses, taxis, or vehicles operating in the normal course of business.
- Smoke shop, cigar lounge, or hookah bar signs in a retail store that has not met special exception requirements are prohibited.
- Moving and/or electronic signage or lighting for the advertisement of tobacco products is prohibited, except for signs that have met special exception requirements.
- No sign shall be located, designed, lighted, arranged, or placed in a position where it will cause danger to traffic or interfere with traffic through glare, blocking of required sight lines for streets, sidewalks or driveways, confusion with traffic control devices, or through any other means.
- No sign shall be erected within the right-of-way lines of a public street, nor placed closer than five feet from such right-of-way lines, except as specifically authorized.
- No illuminated sign shall be lighted on days when the business or use is not open.
- All external illuminated signs must be turned off not later than one hour after closing of the business or facility they identify or advertise, or at closing time if closing time is 1:00 a.m. or later.
- The bottom or lowest edge for a freestanding sign, awning sign, projecting sign, canopy sign, marquee sign, or similar type of sign shall be not less than eight feet above ground.
- Permanent signs must refer to a use, business, service, or activity conducted on the same lot or premises on which they are located, except for billboards.
- Signs must be kept in good condition and repair, and any dilapidated signs must be removed by the landowner or lessee.
- Signs must be removed within 30 days of the time when the circumstances leading to their erection no longer apply, unless specifically stated otherwise.
- All signs constructed or erected must comply with the standards set forth in the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act.
- Signs located within the right-of-way of Pennsylvania state roads must comply with applicable PennDOT regulations.
- Any sign erected after the enactment of this chapter must conform to the provisions of this chapter and any other applicable township ordinance or regulation.
- Outdoor advertising devices must also comply with the Outdoor Advertising Control Act of 1971, where applicable.

## Signs exempt from permit in Upper Darby Township

- Public notice, warning, or official traffic signs required by federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance.
- Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door, that is not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the property on which such sign is located.
- Building markers that only include building name, date of construction, or historical data on a historical site (one per building, maximum area of six square feet).
- Flags of the United States, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Township of Upper Darby, foreign nations, or any other flag adopted or sanctioned by an elected legislative body, provided the flag does not exceed 60 square feet and is flown from a pole not more than 40 feet in height from grade.
- Incidental signs containing no commercial message, provided such signs do not exceed eight square feet.
- Signs advertising the sale or rental of the premises or lot upon which they are erected (one per lot frontage, unilluminated, maximum six square feet in residential districts and 20 square feet in nonresidential districts, removed by settlement date).
- Signs advertising a real estate open house or used as a directional sign for a real estate open house (private property only, owner permission required, maximum four square feet, displayed only up to two hours before and after the open house).
- Signs advertising the development of the premises where they are erected (maximum six square feet in residential districts, 20 square feet in nonresidential districts, removed by settlement date).
- Nameplate signs on private residences, provided they do not exceed 144 square inches.
- Decorations for a recognized officially designated holiday, provided they do not create a traffic or fire hazard.
- Yard sale or garage sale signs, provided they do not exceed two square feet and are removed within 24 hours after such sales.
- Signs announcing a political, educational, charitable, civic, religious, or similar campaign or event (must be removed immediately after completion of campaign or event).
- Temporary signs (not more than one per property, additional sign allowed for large corner properties, maximum area 16 square feet each).
- Sales or price change signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All applications for freestanding signs must include an accurate, scaled, current plot plan and site survey that shows legal rights-of-way, building locations, and proposed location of the sign.
- Applications for a sign permit must include a site plan showing the proposed location of the sign along with the location and square footage of all existing signs on the premises. The plan must also show building and lot dimensions, right-of-way, sidewalks, driveways, and parking areas.
- Permit applications must show compliance with all requirements of the Township Building Code, including instances when a structural engineer's design is required.
- Unless otherwise provided, applications for variances or special exceptions from sign requirements are reviewed under standards provided in § 550-54J of this chapter.
- Setbacks for signs (such as 10 feet from street right-of-way for freestanding signs) are to be documented in permit site plans.

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

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/upper-darby-township