# Sign Regulations in West Chester Borough, Pennsylvania

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

- **Jurisdiction:** West Chester Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/west-chester-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/6472787#6472787)

## At a glance

West Chester Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 38 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Billboard Sign (CS only)s in the Commercial Service District (CS), Industrial District (ID) zoning district are capped at 20 feet (with 10 ft minimum clearance below signboard) tall and 72 square feet per face (max 2 faces), with a Min 10 ft from ROW; min 100 ft from residential property/use; min 500 ft from another billboard setback (Sec. §112-704B(8)). Most commercial signs in West Chester Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 20 feet above average ground level. Lower edge not less than 10 feet above ground. | 25% of the glass area of the window (35% for grocery stores, food markets, or pharmacies) | — |
| Neighborhood Conservation District | 12 | — | 20 square feet | — |
| Professional Office Overlay District | 1 | — | 12 square feet | — |
| Commercial Service District (CS), Industrial District (ID) | 8 | 20 feet (with 10 ft minimum clearance below signboard) | 72 square feet per face (max 2 faces) | — |
| Institutional District (IS) | 4 | — | 24 square feet | — |
| Town Center District (TC) | 5 | — | 24 sq ft per wall (see formula) | — |
| Mixed-Use District (MU) | 6 | — | 60 square feet | — |
| Residential Districts | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### Neighborhood Conservation District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Home Occupation) | — | 2 square feet | — | — | — | On premises | — | §112-704A(1) |
| Wall Sign (Professional Office Overlay Use) | — | 12 square feet | — | — | — | On premises | — | §112-704A(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (Subdivision or Land Development Name) | — | 16 square feet | — | — | One per exclusive entrance | At subdivision or land development entrance | — | §112-704A(3) |
| Wall or Freestanding Sign (Institutional Use) | — | 20 square feet | — | — | One per property; one per frontage if more than one street | On premises of schools, colleges, churches, hospitals, etc. | — | §112-704A(5) |
| Wall Sign (Fraternity/Sorority) | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One per property | Affixed to building | — | §112-704A(6) |
| Freestanding Sign (Public Service Institutions Directional) | — | 3 square feet | — | — | As limited by Borough | Directional, off-site | — | §112-704A(7) |
| Wall Sign (Business, Nonconforming Use in Residential Building) | — | 2 square feet | — | — | One per building | On building | — | §112-704A(8) |
| Wall Sign (Business, Nonconforming Use in Nonresidential Building) | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One per use | On building | — | §112-704A(9) |

### Commercial Service District (CS), Industrial District (ID)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Any sign permitted in Neighborhood Conservation District (when use is permitted in CS or ID) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §112-704B(1) |
| Ground Sign (Single Business or Industrial Use) | — | 32 square feet | — | Min. 10 feet from street ROW. | One per street frontage | On lot where use is conducted | — | §112-704B(3)(a), (6) |
| Pole Sign (Single Business or Industrial Use) | — | 32 square feet | — | Min. 10 feet from street ROW. | One per street frontage | On lot where use is conducted | — | §112-704B(3)(a), (6) |
| Wall Sign (Single Business or Industrial Use) | — | 32 square feet (cumulative), max 10% of facade area | — | — | Max three per use | On facade of principal building | — | §112-704B(3)(b), (6) |
| Ground or Pole Sign (Multiple Businesses or Industries) | — | 24 sq ft (1 business), plus 4 sq ft per additional up to max 40 sq ft | — | — | One per lot | On lot where uses conducted | — | §112-704B(4)(a), (6) |
| Wall Sign (Individual Business, Multiple Businesses/Industries) | — | 8 square feet | — | — | One per business/industry | On facade | — | §112-704B(4)(b), (6) |
| Accessory Sign (Automobile Service Station) | — | 4 square feet | — | — | Max 4 per auto service station | On premises | — | §112-704B(5), (6) |
| Billboard Sign (CS only) | 20 feet (with 10 ft minimum clearance below signboard) | 72 square feet per face (max 2 faces) | — | Min 10 ft from ROW; min 100 ft from residential property/use; min 500 ft from another billboard | One per lot | As principal use only | — | §112-704B(8) |

### Mixed-Use District (MU)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Any sign permitted in Neighborhood Conservation District (when use is permitted in MU) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §112-704E(1),(2) |
| Ground Sign (Single Business) | — | 32 sq ft | — | Min. 10 ft from street ROW. | One per street frontage | On lot where use is conducted | — | §112-704E(3) |
| Ground Sign (Multiple Businesses, <100 ft frontage) | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | One per street (<100 ft frontage) | On lot | — | §112-704E(4)(b),(c) |
| Ground Sign (Multiple Businesses, 100+ ft frontage) | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | Two per street (100+ ft frontage) | On lot | — | §112-704E(4)(a),(c) |
| Ground Sign (Governmental Use) | — | 32 square feet | — | Min 10 ft from street ROW. | One per street frontage | On premises of governmental use | — | §112-704E(5)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Governmental Use) | — | 60 square feet | — | — | — | On premises of governmental use | — | §112-704E(5)(b) |

## Prohibited signs in West Chester Borough

- It is unlawful to erect or maintain spinning, animated, twirling or any other moving objects used for advertising purposes, whether containing a message or not.
- It is unlawful to erect or maintain flashing, blinking, twinkling or lighted moving signs of any type, except those portions of a sign which indicate time and temperature and billboard signs with changeable copy pursuant to § 112-704B(8).
- It is unlawful to erect or maintain curb or sidewalk signs or signs painted, attached or suspended from any outdoor bench, chair or other structure, except for inscriptions on benches at a church, park or nonprofit institution or acknowledgments of a donor that are not commercial advertisements.
- It is unlawful to erect or maintain signs and advertisements which are tacked, pasted, tied or otherwise affixed to poles, posts, trees, buildings, fences or other structures located within public rights-of-way in the Borough of West Chester.
- It is unlawful to erect or maintain unsafe or unlawfully constructed or maintained signs. Unsafe signs or signs a menace to the public or violating this article must be altered or removed within 10 days of notice, or may be removed summarily if an immediate peril.
- It is unlawful to erect or maintain signs placed, inscribed or supported upon the roofline or any structure which extends above the roofline of any building.
- It is unlawful to erect or maintain off-premises signs, except billboard signs in the CS District.
- It is unlawful to have signs or other advertising on a permanently parked vehicle which does not have a current license and inspection and is visible from the street.
- No sign shall be located, arranged or placed to cause danger to traffic or interfere with traffic through glare, blocking of sight lines, confusion with traffic control devices, or by any other means.
- Every sign must be constructed of durable materials and firmly attached, supported, or anchored.
- Every sign must be maintained in good condition and repair; any sign allowed to become dilapidated must be removed by the owner or lessee.
- No sign, other than a sign of a duly constituted governmental body, shall be erected within the right-of-way lines of any street, unless specifically authorized.
- All permanent signs affixed to any permitted building shall be integrated into the architectural design of the building.
- No sign shall be maintained on any premises if abandoned (i.e., related to a use which has been vacant/unoccupied for six months, related to a prior occupant/business, or related to a time/event/purpose which is past); such signs must be removed within 10 days of abandonment.
- Each sign shall be removed within 10 days of the time when the circumstances leading to its erection no longer apply or as otherwise specified.
- All signs on smokestacks, water towers, silos and other similar structures must comply with the provisions of this article.

## Signs exempt from permit in West Chester Borough

- Signs and all sign activities by or authorized by the Borough (including on buildings used for municipal use) are exempt from all requirements, regulations, prohibitions and provisions of Chapter 112.
- Decorations for a recognized officially designated holiday, provided that they do not create a traffic or fire hazard.
- Official and governmental signs, including safety signs, trespassing signs, signs indicating scenic or historical points of interest, and traffic and public parking garage signs.
- Signs designating the name of the owner or occupant of a dwelling house, the address of such property, or the private ownership of roadways or property, provided the sign does not exceed two square feet and not more than one per use.
- Temporary yard sale or garage sale signs not exceeding two square feet, removed within 24 hours after the sale, and located on the lot where the sale occurs.
- Temporary signs (except banners across streets/rights-of-way) announcing a political, public, educational, charitable, civic, religious or similar campaign or event, provided such signs do not cover any window area, do not exceed 28 square feet or 20% of the first-floor facade (whichever is smaller), and are erected for no more than 60 days per year.
- Window signs used as an accessory to the principal use sign, permitted in certain districts or nonconforming commercial uses, provided the total area does not exceed 25% of window glass (35% for groceries, food markets, or pharmacies).
- Informational signs (e.g., 'entrance', 'exit', 'no parking', etc.) on the same lot as the related use, not exceeding two square feet and containing no advertising.
- Signs advertising the sale or rental of individual lots, not exceeding six square feet, one per property, and removed within 31 days after a sale agreement.
- Signs advertising the pending sale/development/rental of a subdivision or land development, not exceeding 16 square feet, limited in number by frontage, and only after final approval of the subdivision/land development.
- Signs of mechanics, painters, and artisans during the period they are working on the premises, not exceeding six square feet, and removed within 31 days of commencement unless approved otherwise.
- One sidewalk sign per business in the Town Center District, not exceeding nine square feet, maintaining a four-foot walkway, taken indoors at close of business each day.
- Recreational field signs, installed only on the outfield fence section, not extending above fence height, and not exceeding 80% of the fence area.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Permit applications for sign approval must be made in writing to the Borough Zoning Officer with required information (description, architectural elevation, plot plan, and landowner consent if applicable) as set forth in § 112-705.
- Sign approval is required for any sign hereafter erected, altered, rebuilt, enlarged, extended, relocated or maintained, unless specifically exempted.
- No display sign shall hereafter be erected, attached, suspended, or supported on a building or structure, or be altered, rebuilt, enlarged, extended or relocated without a permit, unless specifically exempted.
- The Zoning Officer may revoke a permit upon failure to comply with the provisions of the sign ordinance.
- Projecting signs based on historical precedent that do not comply with regulations may be erected with a special exception from the Zoning Hearing Board (no impact assessment required).
- Application for a banner permit to hang banners across public streets/ways must be made 30 days in advance and be approved by Borough Council.
- All permit applications must be accompanied by the required fee.
- All permitted signs must conform to a permit process, and applications are reviewed for compliance with all restrictions, standards, and sign area requirements, as well as their appropriateness to the site.

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

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