# Sign Regulations in Washington Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Washington Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/washington-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/33892455#33892455)

## At a glance

Washington Township, Pennsylvania regulates 24 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Off-Premises Outdoor Advertising Signs in the Commercial (C), Light Industrial (LI), General Industrial (GI), Quarry (Q) zoning district are capped at 35 ft (measured from adjacent street bed to top) tall, 200 sq ft per sign face, and 20 ft (including border/trim) wide, with a Min 15 ft from ROW/ultimate ROW or total sign height, whichever is greater setback (Sec. § 131-78C(3)(a-j)). Most commercial signs in Washington Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Agricultural (A), Watershed Conservation (WSC), Rural Residential (R-1), Suburban Residential (R-2) | 12 | — | 35 sq ft (per side) | — |
| High-Density Residential and Village (HDV) | 6 | 48 in | 100 sq ft (max), 300 sq ft (by special exception) | — |
| Commercial (C), Light Industrial (LI), General Industrial (GI), Quarry (Q) | 3 | 35 ft (measured from adjacent street bed to top) | 200 sq ft per sign face | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | 32 sq ft (per side) | — |

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

### Agricultural (A), Watershed Conservation (WSC), Rural Residential (R-1), Suburban Residential (R-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Occupant Identification/Home Occupation Sign | — | 2 sq ft (per side) | — | — | 1 per lot | On residential lot | — | § 131-78A(3); § 131-78E(1)(a) |
| Institution Sign (e.g. Park, School, Church, Hospital, Sanitarium, Club) | — | 15 sq ft (per side) | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On institution lot | — | § 131-78A(4); § 131-78E(1)(b) |
| No Trespassing/Private Property Sign | — | 1 sq ft (each) | — | — | 1 per 100 feet of frontage | Property line or frontage, on property referred to | — | § 131-78A(5) |
| Real Estate Sign (Sale or Rental) | — | 6 sq ft (per side) | — | — | — | On the premises for sale/rental | — | § 131-78A(6)(a); § 131-98A(2) |
| Subdivision Real Estate Sign (<10 lots) | — | 15 sq ft (per side) | — | — | 1 per subdivision | On the subdivision premises (<10 lots) | — | § 131-78A(6)(b) |
| Subdivision Real Estate Sign (10+ lots) | — | 35 sq ft (per side) | — | — | 2 per subdivision | On the subdivision premises (10+ lots) | — | § 131-78A(6)(c) |
| Public Utility/Municipal Operation Sign | — | 8 sq ft (per street frontage) | — | — | — | On utility or municipal site | — | § 131-78A(7) |
| Agricultural Product Sign | — | 35 sq ft (per street frontage) | — | — | — | On lot where agricultural products are sold | — | § 131-78A(8) |

### High-Density Residential and Village (HDV)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs Permitted in A/WSC/R-1/R-2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 131-78B(1) |
| Wall Sign (Nonresidential Use) | 12 ft above ground | 100 sq ft (max), 300 sq ft (by special exception) | — | — | — | Mounted on building | — | § 131-78B(2)(a); § 131-78E |
| Freestanding Sign (Nonresidential Use) | 10 ft above ground | 100 sq ft (max), 300 sq ft (by special exception) | — | — | — | Freestanding on property | — | § 131-78B(2)(b); § 131-78E |
| Wall-Mounted Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Perpendicular to wall | — | § 131-78B(2)(c) |
| Sandwich Board Sign (Freestanding Temporary Placard in Pedestrian Area) | 48 in | — | 2 ft | — | — | Pedestrian areas | — | § 131-78B(2)(d) |
| Window Sign | — | 20% of window area | — | — | — | Window | — | § 131-78B(2)(e) |

### Commercial (C), Light Industrial (LI), General Industrial (GI), Quarry (Q)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs Permitted in Lower Zones | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 131-78C(1) |
| Tourist Home or Rooming House Sign | — | 6 sq ft (per side) | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On property (same lot) | — | § 131-78C(2) |
| Off-Premises Outdoor Advertising Sign | 35 ft (measured from adjacent street bed to top) | 200 sq ft per sign face | 20 ft (including border/trim) | Min 15 ft from ROW/ultimate ROW or total sign height, whichever is greater | — | Frontage on controlled/semi-controlled access highway (per Township map) | — | § 131-78C(3)(a-j) |

## Prohibited signs in Washington Township

- No sign shall be placed in such a position as to endanger traffic on a street by obscuring a clear view or by confusion with official street signs or signals, by virtue of position or color.
- No sign other than official street signs shall be erected or maintained within a street right-of-way.
- No sign shall be erected at or near the intersection of streets or upon a curve so as to obstruct free and clear vision of motorists.
- No red-, amber- or green-colored lights, discs or shapes are permitted within 100 feet of a street intersection or any other location where the Zoning Officer shall determine that such lights or shapes may reasonably be confused with traffic signals.
- No signs shall be permitted which move, rotate, oscillate, vibrate or shimmer.
- No sign shall be permitted which is animated by means of flashing, scintillating, blinking or traveling lights or by any other means not providing a constant level of illumination, except certain public service or barber pole signs as specified.
- Vehicular signs are prohibited in all zoning districts.
- There shall be no illumination of a flashing, intermittent or moving type for signs in any district.
- Floodlighting shall be shielded such that the source of light shall not be visible from any point off the lot of origin.
- Signs must be constructed of durable materials and maintained in good condition and repair at all times.
- Whenever a sign becomes dilapidated, structurally unsafe, or otherwise hazardous to safety, it must be repaired or removed within 10 days of written notice.

## Signs exempt from permit in Washington Township

- The provisions of this section shall not apply to signs erected at the direction of the federal, state or local government.
- Trade names, emblems, or directions on service facilities or product dispensers (e.g. gasoline pumps, telephone booths, vending machines) are not deemed a sign when such area does not exceed two square feet.
- Nonilluminated signs with an area of less than four square feet are exempt from permit requirements.
- Nonilluminated signs with an area of less than 12 square feet advertising the sale or lease of the land upon which such sign is located are exempt from permit requirements.
- Existing lawful nonconforming signs may be repaired and/or repainted with the same logo but shall not be altered or changed in overall dimensions except to be brought into conformance.
- Lawful nonconforming outdoor advertising signs are exempt from the initial permit application process but require a renewal permit at three-year intervals.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No express requirement for a master sign plan or general sign plan covering multiple signs or developments is stated in the ordinance text provided.
- For outdoor advertising signs, a permit is required which must include five copies of a plan of the property and five copies of a plan of the sign, both drawn to scale and certified by a registered professional engineer or land surveyor.
- Applications for sign permits must include a detailed drawing to scale, a map of the lot (for freestanding signs), and, for outdoor advertising, additional property and sign plan documentation.

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

---

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