# Sign Regulations in Vernon Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Vernon Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/vernon-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/33303563#33303563)

## At a glance

Vernon Township, Pennsylvania regulates 36 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (General)s in the Residential Districts, Conservation-Agricultural Districts, Residential or Conservation-Agricultural Zones, Residential or Conservation Zone Districts, Residential Zone District zoning district are capped at 9 ft above grade tall and 6 sq ft (any face), with a 10 ft from any lot line setback (Sec. § 27-512 3C(1)-(3)). Most commercial signs in Vernon Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts, Conservation-Agricultural Districts, Residential or Conservation-Agricultural Zones, Residential or Conservation Zone Districts, Residential Zone District | 12 | 9 ft above grade | 30 sq ft (any face) | — |
| Retail and Service Business Districts, Business and Manufacturing Districts, Retail and Service Business Zones, Business and Manufacturing Zones, Retail and Service Business and the Business and Manufacturing Zone Districts | 9 | 20 ft above ground | 50 sq ft (per face); up to double for multi-businesses with shared sign (max 100 sq ft) | — |
| Conneaut Corridor District, CR District, BM District | 7 | 20 ft max | 75 sq ft (Corridor design) / 50 sq ft (non-Corridor design) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones, All Zone Districts, Other Zone Districts | 9 | 9 ft max in residential; not above parapet/gutter otherwise; 8 ft min clearance | 32 sq ft | — |

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

### Residential Districts, Conservation-Agricultural Districts, Residential or Conservation-Agricultural Zones, Residential or Conservation Zone Districts, Residential Zone District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (General) | 9 ft above grade | 6 sq ft (any face) | — | 10 ft from any lot line | 1 | At least 10 ft from any lot line. Only in yard areas between principal building and street. | — | § 27-512 3C(1)-(3) |
| Freestanding Sign (Public or Not-for-Profit Institutions) | 8 ft above grade | 30 sq ft (any face) | — | — | — | On institution property in yard area between principal building and street | — | § 27-512 3C(4) |
| Freestanding Sign (Roadside Stand) | — | 16 sq ft (per sign), max two signs | — | — | 2 | Property of stand | — | § 27-512 3C(5) |
| Projecting Sign (If Hung From Private Lamppost) | 9 ft above ground; not above parapet or gutter line | 4 sq ft (any face) | — | — | 1 | Hung from a private lamppost | — | § 27-512 5A(1)-(6) |
| Temporary Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On property | — | § 27-512 5B(3) |
| Yard Sale or Garage Sale Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On property | — | § 27-512 2A(7), § 27-512 5B(1) |
| Identification Sign (Property/Home Occupation) | — | — | — | — | — | On property | — | § 27-512 2A(1) |
| For Sale or Rent Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On property | — | § 27-512 2A(2), § 27-5135A |

### Retail and Service Business Districts, Business and Manufacturing Districts, Retail and Service Business Zones, Business and Manufacturing Zones, Retail and Service Business and the Business and Manufacturing Zone Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft above ground | 50 sq ft (per face); up to double for multi-businesses with shared sign (max 100 sq ft) | — | 5 ft from ROW, 10 ft from business/manuf. lot line, 40 ft from residential/conservation lot line | 1 on each frontage, or 2 on each frontage >500 ft, max 3 per property | Yard area between building and street—minimum 5 ft from street ROW, 10 ft/side & rear lot line if abutting business/manufacturing, 40 ft if abutting residential/conservation | — | § 27-512 3D(1)-(5) |
| Wall-Mounted Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Face abutting street | — | § 27-512 4A-4F |
| Projecting Sign (Single or Multiple Businesses) | Not above parapet/gutter line; 8 ft minimum clearance from grade | 20 sq ft (each face); Multi-tenant: 6 sq ft/tenant | — | — | 1 per business sharing common premises | On property, no projection over public ROW | — | § 27-512 5A(2)-(6) |
| Temporary Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | On property | — | § 27-512 5B(3) |
| Marquee/Canopy Sign | 3 ft (if hung from ceiling, and min 8 ft from pavement) | — | — | — | — | Attached to marquees/canopies | — | § 27-512 5C(1)-(3) |
| Window Sign (Permanent) | — | ≤25% of window area | — | — | — | Applied/painted/hung over window | — | § 27-512 5D(2)-(3) |
| Electronic Sign (Retail, Business, or BM/CR districts only) | — | Same as freestanding sign for the district | — | Minimum 100 ft from abutting residential district; 35 ft from other electronic signs | 1 per lot | On property (see setback rules) | — | § 27-512 5F(1)-(7) |
| Identification, For Sale, Directional, Artisan’s, and Temporary Signs | — | Varies—see residential details (e.g., Artisans' 6 sq ft, For Sale as elsewhere) | — | — | — | On property | — | § 27-512 2B(1), (3), (5); see residential |

### General Regulations For All Zones, All Zone Districts, Other Zone Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Projecting Sign (General) | 9 ft max in residential; not above parapet/gutter otherwise; 8 ft min clearance | 20 sq ft (each face); 6 sq ft/tenant multiple tenants | — | — | 1 per property (unless multi-tenant: 1 per tenant) | Attached to building (not over public ROW) | — | §27-512 5A |
| Temporary Signs in the Public Interest (Non-commercial) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §27-512 1I |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | — | — | §27-5135A |
| Temporary Development Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | — | — | §27-5135B |
| Special Event/Promotion Temporary Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | — | — | §27-5135C |
| Informational or Public Service Sign | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §27-5135D |
| Memorial or Historical Sign/Tablet | — | 9 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §27-5135E |
| Directional Sign | — | 9 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | §27-5135F |

## Prohibited signs in Vernon Township

- No sign shall be permitted to be placed upon the roof of any structure or to project above the cornice line of a flat-roofed building or above the gutter line of a sloped roofed building, except as allowed for original building design.
- No signs lighted in such a manner as to create glare conditions on adjacent or nearby properties or roads or to be capable of causing confusion with traffic control devices shall be permitted.
- Signs that would not be permitted under the current ordinance may not be increased in size or relocated, even if they were legally in place prior to ordinance adoption.
- No sign shall be erected containing information which states or implies that a property may be used for any purpose not permitted under the zoning district regulations.
- Portable signs are not allowed in Vernon Township.
- Off-premises signs are not allowed in Vernon Township.
- No projecting sign shall project over any public right-of-way.
- No new billboards shall be permitted in Vernon Township.
- Audio speakers or any form of pyrotechnics are prohibited in association with an electronic sign.
- No sign shall be erected, constructed, or maintained except as provided in the ordinance and until after all permits, if required, have been issued by the Zoning Officer.
- No sign shall be enlarged or relocated except in conformity to the ordinance provisions and after securing the proper permit, if required.

## Signs exempt from permit in Vernon Township

- This section shall not apply to the display of patriotic flags or banners.
- This section shall not apply to any signs to be erected by Vernon Township or PennDOT.
- This section shall not apply to signs on a property that are not visible from any public street or adjacent properties.
- Signs placed by a public body or a civic or religious organization shall be exempt from fees regardless of the size of the sign, though civic or religious organizations still require a permit.
- Temporary signs in the public interest not advertising a commercial product may be approved by the Zoning Officer for erection in accordance with the requirements.
- Changing the message on a sign or repainting does not require a new permit.
- Temporary paper signs attached to the inside of windows (where window signs are permitted) are not regulated as permanent window signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Persons desiring to erect a sign or signs must submit a plan of their proposal to the Zoning Officer, indicating location, dimensions, construction details, and attachment methods.
- A permit is required for all signs with a face area exceeding six square feet; the permit application must include a plan and the property owner's authorization.
- In the Conneaut Corridor, plans shall be filed with the Zoning Officer before any permit is granted for the erection of a sign or sign structure requiring such permit, and the permit application shall be accompanied by the written consent of the owner or lessee of the premises.
- A separate permit is required for each sign, although a group of signs erected at the same time on the same property may be placed on the same permit.

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

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