# Sign Regulations in West Brandywine Township, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** West Brandywine Township, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/west-brandywine-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/7992300#7992300)

## At a glance

West Brandywine Township, Pennsylvania regulates 20 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Billboard (Off-premises)s in the Limited Industrial District (LI) zoning district are capped at 20 ft tall and 50 sq ft; may be up to 300 sq ft by special exception if needed for visibility, with a See additional_requirements setback (Sec. § 200-130B). Most commercial signs in West Brandywine Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | No part less than 8 feet nor more than 12 feet above ground or walkway | 32 sq ft | — |
| Residential District, R1, R2, R3, R4 | 4 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| Rural Mixed Use District | 11 | 25 ft | 110 sq ft | — |
| Limited Industrial District (LI) | 12 | 25 ft | 120 sq ft | — |
| Medical Service-Institutional District (MSI) | 10 | 20 ft above ground level | 100 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### Rural Mixed Use District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Name and Address Sign (Farm/Farmstand) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | One per parcel per permitted use (or one per street frontage if parcel fronts two streets) | On farm/farmstand property | — | § 200-127A, § 200-126A |
| Subdivision/Development Name Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | Entrance/identification | — | § 200-127A, § 200-126B |
| Public Utility Identification Sign | — | 4 sq ft (or sized by public utility regulatory requirements) | — | — | — | On public utility property | — | § 200-127A, § 200-126C |
| Special Exception Use Sign | — | 20 sq ft unless larger sign approved by Zoning Hearing Board | — | — | — | On lot of special exception use | — | § 200-127A, § 200-126D |
| Window Sign | — | 25% of window glass area | — | — | — | Window | — | § 200-127B, § 200-125B |
| Wall Sign (Business Use) | 20 ft above ground level | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | Wall-mounted, on building wall | — | § 200-127E(1) |
| Freestanding Sign (Business Use) | 25 ft | 110 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 200-127E(2) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | — | Projecting | — | § 200-127E(3) |

### Limited Industrial District (LI)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Name and Address Sign (Farm/Farmstand) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | One per parcel per permitted use (or one per street frontage if parcel fronts two streets) | On farm/farmstand property | — | § 200-128A; § 200-126A |
| Subdivision/Development Name Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | Entrance/identification | — | § 200-128A; § 200-126B |
| Public Utility Identification Sign | — | 4 sq ft (or sized by public utility regulatory requirements) | — | — | — | On public utility property | — | § 200-128A; § 200-126C |
| Special Exception Use Sign | — | 20 sq ft unless larger sign approved by Zoning Hearing Board | — | — | — | On lot of special exception use | — | § 200-128A; § 200-126D |
| Window Sign | — | 25% of window glass area | — | — | — | Window | — | § 200-128A; § 200-125B |
| Wall Sign (Industrial Use) | — | 120 sq ft | — | — | — | Wall-mounted, on building wall | — | § 200-128D(1) |
| Billboard (Off-premises) | 20 ft | 50 sq ft; may be up to 300 sq ft by special exception if needed for visibility | — | See additional_requirements | — | Limited to properties with frontage on state roadways | — | § 200-130B |
| Electronic Message Sign | 12 ft | — | — | See additional_requirements | — | Limited to properties with frontage on state roadways | — | § 200-130C, § 200-130D |

### Medical Service-Institutional District (MSI)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Name and Address Sign (Farm/Farmstand) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | One per parcel per permitted use (or one per street frontage if parcel fronts two streets) | On farm/farmstand property | — | § 200-129; § 200-126A |
| Subdivision/Development Name Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | Entrance/identification | — | § 200-129; § 200-126B |
| Public Utility Identification Sign | — | 4 sq ft (or sized by public utility regulatory requirements) | — | — | — | On public utility property | — | § 200-129; § 200-126C |
| Special Exception Use Sign | — | 20 sq ft unless larger sign approved by Zoning Hearing Board | — | — | — | On lot of special exception use | — | § 200-129; § 200-126D |
| Wall Sign (MSI Use) | 20 ft above ground level | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | Wall-mounted, on building wall | — | § 200-129A |
| Freestanding Sign (MSI Use) | 16 ft | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 200-129B |
| Billboard (Off-premises) | 20 ft | 50 sq ft; may be up to 300 sq ft by special exception if needed for visibility | — | See additional_requirements | — | Limited to properties with frontage on state roadways | — | § 200-130B |
| Electronic Message Sign | 12 ft | — | — | See additional_requirements | — | Limited to properties with frontage on state roadways | — | § 200-130C, § 200-130D |

## Prohibited signs in West Brandywine Township

- No sign shall be erected within the lines of a street right-of-way, except for traffic signs, regulatory notices, informational signs, message boards or digital displays of a duly constituted governmental body.
- No sign having a distracting effect on motorists on adjacent highways shall be permitted, including those which flash, move, oscillate, or rotate.
- No sign shall be erected which emits smoke, visible vapors or particles, sound or odor.
- No sign shall be erected or operated in a manner which may be mistaken for a traffic signal.
- No sign shall be erected containing information that implies that a property may be used for any purpose not permitted under the provisions of this chapter.
- No roof sign shall project above the main peak or cornice line of a building to which a sign is affixed.
- Floodlighting of any sign shall be arranged so that the source of light is not visible nor glare is detected from any property line or vehicular access and that only the sign is illuminated.
- A freestanding sign and projecting sign shall not be utilized together to identify the same establishment on the same street frontage unless for multiple uses on a single lot where the freestanding sign collectively denotes a number of uses.
- No sign, including political signs and temporary removable yard or garage sale signs, and hunting and trespassing signs, shall be placed on any tree, utility pole or upon rocks or natural features.
- Backlighting of signs shall not project luminance or glare levels exceeding the criteria of § 167-66 of the West Brandywine Township Code.
- Sign lighting where permitted shall be extinguished at 11:00 p.m., or within 30 minutes of the close of business, whichever is later.
- No sign other than official traffic signage shall be permitted in the right-of-way of any public street, unless specifically permitted in this chapter.

## Signs exempt from permit in West Brandywine Township

- No permit shall be required before erecting any of the following signs, provided they conform to all the provisions established under § 200-121:
- Information or public service signs, including those for public telephones, public conveniences, and signs advertising meeting times and places for nonprofit service or charitable organizations, not exceeding three square feet in area.
- Official traffic signs.
- On-premises regulatory or informational signs required by federal or state law or regulation governing a permitted use.
- Hunting and trespassing signs not exceeding two square feet in area.
- Signs indicating the private nature of a drive.
- Temporary real estate sales or rent signs not exceeding nine square feet in area, provided they are removed within 14 days of the signing of an agreement.
- Memorial or historic markers not exceeding nine square feet in area.
- Temporary yard or garage sale placed on the property on which the sale is occurring, provided that the sign does not exceed four square feet in area and is removed within 48 hours of the completion of the sale.
- Temporary contractor signs for work being performed not exceeding nine square feet in area, provided they are removed within 14 days of the work completion date.
- Informational signs, message boards or digital displays erected by the Township.
- Political and personal viewpoint signs not exceeding nine square feet in area.
- Subject to approval of the landowner, the Township Board of Supervisors may authorize the placement and construction of township informational signs, welcome signs, directional signs or historical markers, notwithstanding any regulation or limitation otherwise contained in this chapter.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Applications for sign permits shall be filed in duplicate on forms furnished by the Township. Application shall be accompanied by detailed plans and specifications and such other information deemed necessary by the Zoning Officer to determine the location and details of construction.
- For billboard (off-premises) and electronic message signs, the applicant shall submit a landscape plan prepared by a landscape architect showing landscaping proposed to be installed to screen and buffer the billboard. A visual survey from mutually agreed upon vantage points is also required to support the landscaping plan's mitigation of visual impacts.
- For billboards and electronic signs, a special exception (Zoning Hearing Board process) is required, subject to compliance with specific criteria and with all applicable criteria in Zoning Ordinance § 200-146.

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

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