# Sign Regulations in Upper Uwchlan Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Upper Uwchlan Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/upper-uwchlan-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/8343885#8343885)

## At a glance

Upper Uwchlan Township, Pennsylvania regulates 18 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Pole Sign (Single Use)s in the Highway Commercial District (C-3), Limited Industrial District (LI), Planned Industrial/Office District (PI) zoning district are capped at 12 ft tall and 70 sq ft, with a At least 15 ft from property line or greater per sign height/district; minimum 8 ft to bottom of sign setback (Sec. § 200-98C(1)-(4), (7)). Most commercial signs in Upper Uwchlan Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | — | 20 sq ft | — |
| Residential zoning districts (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4) | 6 | — | 40 sq ft | — |
| Highway Commercial District (C-3), Limited Industrial District (LI), Planned Industrial/Office District (PI) | 12 | 30 ft from grade to top of sign face | 700 sq ft per face, up to 2 faces per support; extensions (2D only) up to 4 ft beyond face and 1/3 of sign's length/height | — |
| C-1 District | 3 | 8 ft min, 12 ft max above ground | See formula, and § 200-98D | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Off-premises Directional Sign | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | No more than two per permitted use | — | — | § 200-94Q |
| Vehicular Service Establishment Sign | — | 15 sq ft (nonreaderboard); readerboard component: 6 sq ft | — | — | One per street frontage | One sign per street frontage | — | § 200-94R |
| Storage Tank/Structure Identification Sign | — | Greater than 4 sq ft, not to exceed 15 sq ft | — | — | One | On the tank/structure | — | § 200-94BB |
| Readerboard Sign | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | — | Part of permitted pole/monument sign | — | § 200-98F |

### Residential zoning districts (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professional or Accessory Use Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | One per use/unit | On dwelling | — | § 200-97A |
| Sign for Permitted Use Other than Dwellings | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | One (or two if on two street frontages) | On premises | — | § 200-97B |
| Real Estate Sign (For Sale or Rent) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | One (or two if on two frontages) | On property for sale or rent | — | § 200-97C(1) |
| Development Location Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from street line | Two per 500 ft of frontage | On property under development | — | § 200-97C(2) |
| Subdivision Entrance Sign (Monument) | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | One per entrance | At each new road entering subdivision | — | § 200-97D |
| Off-premises Directional Sign | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | Maximum two per permitted use | — | — | § 200-97E, § 200-94Q |

### Highway Commercial District (C-3), Limited Industrial District (LI), Planned Industrial/Office District (PI)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Real Estate Sign (For Sale or Rent) | — | 24 sq ft (single-sided) / 32 sq ft (double-sided) | — | — | One or two if on two frontages | On property for sale or rent | — | § 200-98B(1) |
| Development Location Sign | — | 20 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from street line | Two per 500 ft of frontage | On property under development | — | § 200-98B(2) |
| Freestanding Pole Sign (Single Use) | 12 ft | 70 sq ft | — | At least 15 ft from property line or greater per sign height/district; minimum 8 ft to bottom of sign | One (two if >1000 ft frontage, 400 ft apart; extra must be monument type) | Front yard; see setback and spacing | — | § 200-98C(1)-(4), (7) |
| Freestanding Pole Sign (Combining Uses) | 12 ft | 100 sq ft | — | At least 15 ft from property line or greater per sign height/district; minimum 8 ft to bottom of sign | One per tract | Front yard; see setback and spacing | — | § 200-98C(2) |
| Freestanding Pole Sign (Shopping Center) | 12 ft | 140 sq ft | — | At least 15 ft from property line or greater per sign height/district; minimum 8 ft to bottom of sign | One per center | Front yard; see setback and spacing | — | § 200-98C(2) |
| Monument Sign | 5 ft | 60 sq ft | — | Minimum 1 ft from right-of-way/sidewalk | — | Frontage; minimum 1 ft setback from ROW or sidewalk | — | § 200-98C(5)-(8) |
| Projecting Sign | No part lower than 8 ft no higher than 12 ft above ground | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per building/use | One per building/structure; not allowed where wall sign is provided | — | § 200-98E |
| Outdoor Advertising Billboard Sign | 30 ft from grade to top of sign face | 700 sq ft per face, up to 2 faces per support; extensions (2D only) up to 4 ft beyond face and 1/3 of sign's length/height | — | At least 15 ft from side/rear property lines; support structures at least 500 ft apart | Max 2 per parcel/lot | Limited Industrial and Planned Industrial/Office Districts only | — | § 200-98I |

## Prohibited signs in Upper Uwchlan Township

- No sign shall be placed in such a position that it will cause danger to traffic on a street by obscuring the view.
- No sign shall be erected or maintained within the lines of, or project over, any public street or public sidewalk, or be closer than 10 feet to a street or sidewalk surface, except real estate signs as allowed, or unless specifically authorized by ordinance, special exception, or as a street sign or attached flatly to a building.
- No stringing of light bulbs, animated signs, revolving, swinging, or movable part signs, signs with reflectors, inflatable signs, tethered balloons, bicycles, boats, kayaks, etc., are permitted after the effective date of this article.
- No sign that emits smoke, visible vapors, particles, sound, or odor is permitted after the effective date of this article.
- No advertising sign, banner, pennant, valance, spinner, or display constructed of cloth, canvas, wall board or other like materials shall be erected, suspended or hung on any property, except as allowed by § 200-96G(4) or other permitted temporary sign sections.
- Signs must be maintained in safe condition and good repair. Unsafe signs or those not in good repair must be repaired within 90 days.
- Signs are unsafe if insurance lapses. Owner must remove unsafe sign within 90 days unless proof of insurance is provided.
- No commercial building in any residential district, including multifamily dwellings, shall have signage that is internally illuminated or illuminated by neon, strip, floodlighting, or spot lighting.
- Freestanding signs (pole or monument) are prohibited within 400 feet of a public park of three acres or more and other parks as designated by the Township Supervisors.
- All signs must be a part of the architectural design of new or altered buildings, and no sign shall protrude above or next to the building, unless allowed by this article or applicable zoning district.
- Business signs on vehicles parked in residential districts must be concealed from public view unless engaged in authorized activity at the site.
- No sign shall be erected or maintained to prevent free ingress or egress from any door, window, or fire escape. No sign may be attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
- No business sign may be located nearer to a residence or residential district lot line than permitted for buildings. If closer than 30 feet and facing such a residence/district, illumination must not shine or reflect upon the residence/district.
- Signs advertising a ceased or abandoned use must be removed by the property owner within two weeks.
- All signs must be securely mounted to their supporting structure or to the ground and approved by the Zoning Officer.
- No sign shall have flashing lights, nor shall artificial or reflecting light interfere or compete with a traffic signal, or create a visual nuisance.
- Readerboard signs are not permitted unless specifically allowed or exempted.
- No sign may be erected containing information implying or stating that a property may be used for an unpermitted purpose, unless allowed for nonconforming uses or by variance.
- No sign may be erected in any zoning district without a sign permit, unless exempted (§ 200-95).
- At no time shall the Township permit the erection of an outdoor advertising billboard, other than as specifically allowed by § 200-98I.
- No sign with more than two faces or sides shall be permitted.
- No storage tank or structure shall be used for off-premises advertising. Only one sign identifying the installer, owner, or use of the storage tank is allowed, and not illuminated.
- Gross sign area is to be measured as specified (§ 200-94J, J), including both sides of double-sided signs.
- Signs along state or federal highways must meet any stricter requirements by those authorities.
- All distances between signs or to property lines are measured straight line edge-to-edge.
- Off-premises directional signs have content, size, and quantity limitations: two per use, three square feet max, and content restrictions.
- Signs not conforming to the requirements of this article are subject to nonconforming sign regulations (§ 200-105).

## Signs exempt from permit in Upper Uwchlan Township

- No permit is required for the following signs in any district (but must comply with all other regulations unless installed by a governmental body for a public purpose):
- Signs of a duly constituted governmental body.
- Signs or emblems of religious, civil, philanthropic, historical, or educational organizations not exceeding 12 square feet; exempt temporary signs for civic events (must obtain landowner/utility permission and remove per applicable time frames).
- Traffic signs, street signs, or other directional, informational, or public service signs (such as restrooms, telephone, public conveniences), and meeting times/places of non-profit or charitable organizations, provided they do not advertise any commercial subject (except public utilities); max four square feet.
- Trespassing signs, private road/driveway signs, hunting/fishing control signs, and ownership signs; not to exceed three square feet and posted at least 50 feet apart.
- Legal notices.
- Window signs indicating store hours, names of credit institutions or other businesses, up to a total of two square feet.
- Vending machine signs denoting the product name or price.
- Memorial signs or historical tablets, maximum four square feet.
- Signs that are permanent architectural features of buildings or structures, such as cornerstones or carved/embossed characters, provided they are not reflective or contrasting in color.
- Revolving barbershop pole sign, maximum 36 inches in height.
- Specified temporary signs—the following do not require a permit: temporary contractor/artisan signs (one per trade, max four square feet, only on-premises, not illuminated, removed after activity), temporary yard/garage sale signs (max four square feet, erected max two days before, removed within two days after, max three off-premises directional, must have landowner/utility permission), signs/bunting/pennants announcing new business opening (no more than 14 days before and seven days after, not across streets, max one foot high and three feet across), temporary window signs for civic/philanthropic/educational/religious drives/events under four square feet and inside window (removed within three days after event), and the requirement that any site or building with a temporary exempt sign must be restored after removal.
- Identification signs indicating the name and street address of residential occupants (max two square feet, one per unit/use, not illuminated).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs must be made part of the architectural design of new commercial or retail construction or major alterations (see § 200-94H); sign permit applications/drawings must demonstrate compliance and provide all required details.
- Drawings for sign permits must provide details on size, location, illumination, etc., in sufficient detail as required by § 200-99.
- Applications for sign permits must be accompanied by detailed plans, specifications, and any information the Zoning Officer deems necessary to ensure compliance (§ 200-99C), including lot dimensions, sign location, description, illumination, landscaping, and scale sketches.
- No sign permit issued except in conformity with ordinance, or by written order of the Zoning Hearing Board or courts (§ 200-99H).
- The Township reserves the right to require sign landscaping as part of a sign permit (§ 200-94X).
- In the C-1 District, the Township reserves the right to require review of all sign permit applications by its planning consultant to ensure compliance with specific design/compatibility requirements (§ 200-98H).
- Signs proposed in the Byers Station Historic District must be reviewed by the Historic Commission prior to permit issuance (§ 200-98H(8)), and the Township may require changes based on Historic Commission input.
- Certain uses or changes (nonconforming expansion, change-of-use, etc.) may require a special exception or review before the Zoning Hearing Board (see nonconforming use/structure/lots sections, e.g., § 200-102A, § 200-103A).
- A sign permit is required for all signs unless specifically exempted (§ 200-99A, § 200-95 exemption list, and mentioned in § 200-94U).

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

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