Sign Ordinances

Adams Outdoor Advertising, LP v. Zoning Hearing Board of Smithfield Township, 909 A.2d 469 (PA.Cmwlth.2006).

2006
Organizations/Sources: PA Commonwealth Court
Commonwealth court case sustaining a zoning hearing board's decision to require the removal of off-site signs due to the landowner’s voluntary request for a change in the land use. An appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court was denied.
Last Modified
Oct 06, 2015
Viewed
4621 times

A Framework for On-Premise Sign Regulations

2009
Organizations/Sources: Signage Foundation, Inc.
This guide explains the framework for formulating sign regulations, legal considerations, and ways to accomodate both community and business interests. It also includes model ordinance provisions.
Last Modified
Mar 15, 2019
Viewed
7111 times

Best Practices in First Amendment Land Use Regulations

2009
This article discusses a number of land use regulations related to the First Amendment among them signage and billboards.
Last Modified
Feb 28, 2011
Viewed
4876 times

Columbia Heights Sign Code Regulations

Section of Columbia Heights (MN) zoning code that deals with sign regulations.
Last Modified
Mar 18, 2019
Viewed
2593 times

Context-Sensitive Signage Design

2001
Organizations/Sources: American Planning Association
This publication provides an overview of sign regulation, discusses legal issues, safety, aesthetics, and provides some national case study examples of the process for adopting sign ordinances.
Last Modified
Mar 15, 2019
Viewed
7327 times

Frederick County Sign Regulations

Table describing the size and setback limits for different types of signs in each zoning district in Frederick County (MD).
Last Modified
Mar 18, 2019
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2745 times

Hermitage Zoning Ordinance

Zoning ordinance for the City of Hermitage (PA). See section 409 for sign regulations.
Last Modified
Mar 18, 2019
Viewed
3148 times

Hopkins Sign Ordinance

Sign ordinance for the City of Hopkins, Minnesota.
Last Modified
Mar 18, 2019
Viewed
2883 times

Lancaster Township Zoning Ordinance

2012
Zoning ordinance for Lancaster Township (PA). See Article 12 for sign regulations.
Last Modified
Mar 18, 2019
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2738 times

Meeting the Sign Regulation Challenge

2006
Organizations/Sources: American Planning Association
Two programs explore how to create effective and defensible sign regulations. Keep your community beautiful and safe from legal challenges to your sign ordinance. The CD-ROM Includes program #1 "Issues in Sign Regulation" and program #2, "Context-Sensitive Signs". The CD-ROM can be found in the American Planning Association, Pennsylvania Chapter, lending library.
Last Modified
Oct 14, 2015
Viewed
4639 times

Model On-Premise Sign Code

2011
Organizations/Sources: United States Sign Council
It is the intent of this model sign code to provide municipalities with a means to both understand and regulate the use of on-premise signs within their jurisdictions. To this end, the model has been designed to provide regulatory schemes for on-premise signs only, and does not include schemes for the regulation of billboards.
Last Modified
Mar 18, 2019
Viewed
3156 times

Model Sign Ordinances, out-of-state

2008
Organizations/Sources: Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin
Examples of state model sign ordinances: Included on this website is a general sign ordinance, and billboard prohibition. Please note that special consideration will have to be made to mold these models to conform to Pennsylvania’s statutes and case law.
Last Modified
Oct 14, 2015
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4463 times

Model Zoning Ordinance Regulations for Signs

2017
Model sign ordinance published by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission that was updated in light of the 2015 Supreme Court case Reed vs. Town of Gilbert, which shed more light on the unconstitutionality of content-focused sign ordinances.
Last Modified
Mar 18, 2019
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3107 times

Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) - Adoption of Sign Ordinances

2009
Organizations/Sources: Pennsylvania General Assembly
Excerpts from the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act of 1968, P.L. 805, No. 247, as reenacted and amended regarding adopting sign ordinances. Nineteenth Edition, September 2009.
Last Modified
Oct 06, 2015
Viewed
4981 times

Pocono Mountain Chamber of Commerce Model Sign Ordinance

2000
Organizations/Sources: Pocono Mountain Chamber of Commerce
This model sign code was drafted for Monroe County municipalities and was written based upon local municipal ordinances.
Last Modified
Mar 15, 2019
Viewed
8551 times

Radnor Township Sign Ordinance

Organizations/Sources: Radnor Township
Radnor Township (PA) regulates billboards as a part of its sign ordinance, which is part of the township's zoning ordinance. The provisions prohibit digital billboards and have specific requirements for the location, number, size, and height of billboards.
Last Modified
Mar 15, 2019
Viewed
10426 times

Saving Face – How Corporate Franchise Design can Respect Community Identity

2002
Authors: Ronald Fleming
Organizations/Sources: American Planning Association
This report shows planners, citizens, and officials how they can successfully advocate for sensitive and contextual corporate franchise design that can respect and even enhance community character and local economic development.
Last Modified
Oct 17, 2009
Viewed
4615 times

Serving on a Sign Ordinance Committee

Organizations/Sources: United States Sign Council
An excellent document to start your research on crafting a sign ordinance. This document provides a basic understanding of sign ordinances, permissible and prohibited actions of sign ordinance committees, definitions of various sign terminology, and a brief discussion on design review and design review committees.
Last Modified
Oct 16, 2009
Viewed
6803 times

Sign Application, PA Department of Labor and Industry

2004
This document can be useful in developing your own sign permit application.
Last Modified
Oct 18, 2009
Viewed
4426 times

Sign Ordinance

2023
Authors: Nate Lotze
A sign ordinance can help a municipality reduce the visual clutter of signage and end business sign wars. It also can help protect, establish, or enhance community identity. WeConservePA guide. 2 pages.
Last Modified
Mar 17, 2023
Viewed
2570 times

Sign Ordinance: A Comprehensive, Content-Neutral Approach to Local Sign Control

2015
Organizations/Sources: Montgomery County Planning Commission
The Montgomery County Planning Commission's signage guide and model sign ordinance provides a comprehensive approach to sign regulations by incorporating best practices from communities around the country, appropriate federal and state statutes, and provisions based on recent leading court decisions involving signage. The model sign ordinance includes regulations for both on-premises and off-premises signs (i.e., billboards) as well as detailed general regulations including an extensive sign illumination regulations section. The first seven parts of this guide include detailed information regarding the impact of signs, the need for sign regulation, other state and federal laws governing signs, different approaches to sign regulation, and the complexities of new signage technologies. All of this information was used when crafting content-neutral sign regulations that fit the context of the parcel size and ori-entation, zoning district, and community character.
Last Modified
Mar 15, 2019
Viewed
4039 times

Sign Ordinance and Application, East Lampeter Township

This provides good examples of the documents you will need in creating a sign ordinance. Included is the application for sign placement, guidelines for approval of different sign types, requirements for electrical signs, and an insurance requirement form.
Last Modified
Oct 20, 2009
Viewed
4608 times

Sign Ordinance, City of Bethlehem

Organizations/Sources: City of Bethlehem, PA
An example of a sign ordinance that can be used as a model document.
Last Modified
Oct 07, 2015
Viewed
5329 times

Sign Ordinance, Derry Township

2006
Organizations/Sources: Derry Twp., Dauphin County, PA
Perhaps the best example of a municipal sign ordinance and one that has achieved the desired results. This ordinance is extremely thorough and includes definitions to help identify permitted and non-permitted sign usage.
Last Modified
Oct 20, 2009
Viewed
5270 times

Sign Ordinance, Monroe County

2000
Organizations/Sources: Monroe County, PA
Developed by the county and the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, this model sign ordinance is proposed for adoption by all municipalities in Monroe County. The ordinance is based on a number of local municipality sign ordinances and includes other significant refinements gleaned from other counties’ ordinances. The goal of this effort is to have all county municipalities adopt an effective, standardized, sign ordinance.
Last Modified
Oct 22, 2015
Viewed
4457 times

Sign Ordinance, Municipality of Murrysville

2006
Organizations/Sources: Murrysville, Westmoreland County
An example of a sign ordinance that can be used as a model document. This is a thorough ordinance with definitions.
Last Modified
Oct 16, 2009
Viewed
4703 times

Sign Ordinances - A Primer on Constitutional Limitations

Authors: Reid Allen Cox
Organizations/Sources: The Center for Individual Freedom
A beginners look at the major court cases that have shaped the sign ordinance/free speech debate.
Last Modified
Oct 17, 2009
Viewed
5193 times

Sign Ordinance, West Deer Township

Organizations/Sources: West Deer Twp., PA
A good example of a sign ordinance that can be used to create a model document.
Last Modified
Oct 07, 2015
Viewed
4996 times

Spriggs v. South Strabane Township Zoning Hearing Board

2001
Organizations/Sources: PA Commonwealth Court
Commonwealth Court case affirming a township’s authority to require a sign be removed because it violated the township’s size and placement restrictions. The significance of this case is that the defendant argued that the removal of the sign violated his 1st Amendment rights to free speech because the message was religious in nature.
Last Modified
Oct 17, 2009
Viewed
4669 times

Township of Exeter v. Zoning Hearing Board of Exeter Township, 911 A.2d 201 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2006)

2006
Organizations/Sources: PA Commonwealth Court
Commonwealth Court case which held that a standard billboard size in the sign industry cannot control a township’s sign ordinance limitation of a billboard’s size, and the fact that industry standard signs are far larger than the size allowed by a sign ordinance does not establish a de facto exclusion of billboards
Last Modified
Oct 16, 2009
Viewed
4285 times

Upper Southampton Township v. Upper Southampton Township Zoning Hearing Board, 2007 WL4112087 (Pa. 11/20/07)

2007
Organizations/Sources: PA Supreme Court
A PA Supreme Court ruling overturning the township’s argument that the construction of billboards falls within the Municipal Planning Code’s definition of land development, therefore requiring a land development permit from the township.
Last Modified
Oct 07, 2015
Viewed
6361 times

Upper Southampton Township v. Upper Southampton Township Zoning Hearing Board, Appeal of Outdoor Partnership, LLC

2005
Organizations/Sources: PA Commonwealth Court
Commonwealth Court case upholding the lower court's finding that a land development plan and approval (in this instance) was required for the construction of billboards in the township, due to the subdivision of the subject property.
Last Modified
Oct 19, 2009
Viewed
5051 times

West Hollywood Sign Ordinance and Design Guidelines

Organizations/Sources: City of West Hollywood, California
Sign ordinance and sign design guidelines for the City of West Hollywood (CA).
Last Modified
Mar 15, 2019
Viewed
10849 times