Signs in NYC: What’s Allowed and What Isn’t?

Rules and Regulations for Street Signs in NYC

Street signs are an essential part of making your business visible to your customers. But did you know there are detailed NYC rules and regulations that you need to be familiar with beforehand? There is quite a lot of information to go through – NYC sign permits, types of districts and areas, registration processes, etc.

If you’re confused by street signs in NYC and outdoor advertising regulations, this guide will give you detailed answers to all your questions. Even though it seems overwhelming and complicated, you will quickly get a handle of it.

NY Zones and What They Have to Do with Advertising

Most people know that New York is divided into neighborhoods. However, there is such thing as NYC zoning resolution, which is an essential piece of regulation from more than a century ago. Inside, there are 14 articles that establish the zoning districts for the City’s land use and development matters.

How does it relate to outdoor advertising regulations? In fact, the rules for placing banners and signs vary based on which zone they fall in. According to the NYC rules and regulations, there are three distinct types, such as:

• Residential districts – This zone accounts for 75% of the City’s land area. Certain facilities are not permitted or are restricted in size, which is also the case with signage. Namely, signage regulations are tougher for residential districts.
• Commercial districts – Signage rules here are milder. However, regulations mandate that all developments and owners need to maintain street wall continuity.
• Manufacturing districts – This one applies to suppliers, lighting fabricators, warehouses, and distribution centers. Here, signage rules are the most relaxed. But you should keep in mind open space and buffer areas when developing billboard zoning.

Overall, NYC permit rules are inconsistent toward the outdoor banners depending on where they are used. The resolution also outlines requirements tailored to distinctive qualities that don’t answer to the generalized zoning. So, if your business resides in a special-purpose district, there may be a different set of laws regulating advertisement signs.

Obviously, the objectives of these rules are multi-faceted. And even though some points don’t mention signage specifically, many of them deal with related topics. For example, check the required distance for street signs in NYC between a building and the street.

The New York City Building Code

Another set of laws about putting up signs that are worth mentioning is The New York City Building Code. The full text is available on The Official NYC website but let’s go over some key points:

• There is a line established by law, beyond which a building and signage mustn’t extend.
• Signs must be designed and constructed in compliance with New York State rules and regulations for materials, loads, and stresses. For example, it should withstand wind pressure and meet seismic requirements.
• Is a sign is attached to masonry, concrete, or steel, it must be securely fastened with metal anchors and bolts of sufficient size.
• Also, if a sign is made with noncombustible materials, the display surface mustn’t exceed 150 square feet.

The department compiled a checklist of owners that are researching business signs in NYC. If you want to stay compliant with the Construction Codes, follow this:

• Pre-Project: Work with an NYC registered professional (in design, engineering, or architecture) and file the commissioning report if needed;
• Project Plans: Submit construction documents to obtain NYC DOB permits (Department of Buildings);
• Project Work: Make sure you hire an NYC licensed General Contractor;
• Work Completion: Follow through with inspections to finalize the advertisement sign installation.

Sign Definition and Types

Before you start the paperwork, it makes sense to learn more about what constitutes a sign and which category it falls in. The NYC zoning laws define a sign as any:

• Letter
• Figure
• Character
• Mark
• Design
• Poster
• Picture
• Stroke
• Stripe
• Line
• Trademark
• Reading Matter
• Illuminated Service

If any of these objects need to be installed to attract the public to any place, subject, person, firm, corporation, public performance, article, machine, or merchandise, it needs to advertising signage regulations.

You may think that a picture or a stroke doesn’t necessarily fit the idea of signage. But basically, any type of attention-grabbing object can be classified as outdoor advertising in New York. So, make sure not to receive a penalty because of a lack of knowledge.

Advertising vs. Accessory Signs

Two important terms that business owners also need to differentiate between are advertising and accessory sign. As for the specific NYC signage regulations, we need to go back to the Zoning Resolution that gives the following definitions:

• An accessory sign directs attention to goods or services where the sign is located. You may also see this type referred to as on-premises or business signs in NYC.
• An advertising sign attracts people’s attention to a business that is located elsewhere from the sign itself. Such outdoor advertising signs aren’t allowed in certain zoning districts.

So, a sign will need to follow different rules depending on whether the property and the business are at the same location. There are three criteria that regulators use to assign signage to one of these two categories. A sign is considered an accessory by NYC rules and regulations if:

1. Business (product, person, event, etc.) that is described in the sign takes place at the same property as the sign location.
2. The content of the sign and the main line of business should be distinctly connected.
3. It was the owner of that land that has installed the sign, or it was done to benefit owners, occupants, employees, customers, or visitors to the premises.

In case a sign falls short on any of these criteria, the NYC zoning resolution considers it advertising.

What is the regulation for signs that aren’t classified as either of those? By default, any sign that falls somewhere in between is regulated as an accessory sign.

Illumination Criteria

Now let’s look at the Zoning Resolution from the point of illumination signs. Depending on the degree of illumination, a sign can be classified as:

• Non-illuminated
• Illuminated
• Illuminated flashing
• Indirectly illuminated

Regardless of the illumination, all of the signs above should have a construction permit (required to be submitted in DOB), electrical Permit (filed by a licensed electrician), a Licensed Sign Hanger to install the sign. However, signs that fall into “illuminated categories” require an illuminated sign permit in NYC (must be renewed annually).

If you make any changes to the wording, the permit needs to be reissued. The filing documents must reflect the current wording on the illuminated sign.

Installation Permits

NYC DOB permits are something that every business owner in the City has to go through. Filing them can be a challenge, and it requires close cooperation with a number of departments.

But before we go into the conditions where you need or don’t need a permit, take a look at the following notions to understand the terminology better:

• NYC sign permit – It’s a written warrant granted by the City of the proposed sign follow the rules outlined in the NYC Construction Codes.
• NYC DOB permit process – For this, you need to contact the issuing body (DOB), file the documentation, and pay fees. If your business is located within a historical district, you also need to file with the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
• NYC DOB electrical permit – This one specifically applies to illuminated signage. It ensures that all electrical work is done under the supervision and in complete accordance with all applicable laws.

Here is when you need a permit to install a sign:

• A sign is attached to a structure and not directly placed on the building
• It’s illuminated
• It exceeds 75 square feet in area and 25 pounds in weight
• It requires an alteration of a building and related to such work

According to the NYC permit rules, here is when you don’t need a permit:

• A sign is painted straight on the exterior wall of the property or on the enclosure
• It covers less than 6 square feet and is mounted on the wall
• It’s a ground or temporary sign with a less than 12 square feet coverage
• It’s a decorative element for a holiday, public event, charity, or welfare promotion

Outdoor Advertising Regulations for Districts and Areas

We’ve mentioned briefly how the differentiation between NYC has an impact on outdoor advertising regulations. Here is a more in-depth explanation of which signs are allowed and which ones are prohibited.

Residential Districts

Residential signs outdoors mustn’t be advertising. In other words, if a property is located in the residential district, the sign must meet the criteria for accessory signs. Once again, there is quite a lot of information to digest.

To make things more manageable, let’s focus only on a few:

• Outdoor advertising signs may contain “for sale” or “for rent” wording. The most important condition is that it much be less than 12 square feet. The same goes for flags, banners, or pennants.
• Within residential areas, business signs in NYC must follow the established street line. The permitted distance where they can extend 12 inches. They also mustn’t be higher than 12 inches above the ceiling of the ground floor.
• Design standards for off-street parking signs specify that those need to be less than 2 square feet.
• Illuminated signs aren’t permitted unless it’s a medical facility. Those should be less than 15% the street frontage in feet. Also, they must have no flashing.
• Residence building can have one name plate per property that is less than 12 square feet. The content of business signs in NYC is also strictly regulated – it must only contain the name and address of the building or the name of management.

Commercial Districts

Advertisement signs are only allowed in certain parts of the commercial district. As for accessory signs, they have restrictions in the following regards:

• Height in relation to the property;
• Distance for projecting from the building;
• Surface in relation to the street frontage.

The rule of thumb for NYC zoning laws is that the bigger the street frontage is, the more coverage an accessory sign is permitted to have.

Manufacturing Districts

Rules around outdoor advertising in NYC in manufacturing districts don’t have as many restrictions. The main variable for sign coverage depends on the lot’s street frontage. Here, both accessory and advertising signs are allowed as long as the sign area sits the allowable square feet criteria. Generally, illuminated signs must be smaller than non-illuminated signs.

Highways

Since 1940, the City has restricted the use of advertising signs on the highway within 200 feet of its main highways. However, this ban doesn’t apply to highway advertising signs that draw attention to businesses in their immediate proximity.

However, if it’s an interstate highway, it’s not only NY rules that govern signage and NYC DOB permits. In this case, signs also fall under federal regulation. Here, you need to refer to the Highway Beautification Act signed by Congress for specific billboard rules regulations.

Parks

In 2011, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation introduced a refreshed brand identity. Before that, signage types were made of separate panels in a variety of sizes and colors. Now they not only need to maintain consistency but also meet the placement rules. No signs are allowed in and near small parks and playgrounds. For larger parks, the limit for billboard advertising signs is at 500 square feet.

Registration Process for Outdoor Advertising Companies

If a person or a company plans to put up outdoor advertising in NYC, they need to be registered with the DOB. The first step is to file the request to obtain an Outdoor Advertising Company (OAC) status. Then, according to the New York State rules and regulations, an OAC will need to submit documentation on every sign, its structure, location, and installation method.

Let’s look closer at the street signs in NYC that are located:

• Within 900 feet of major arterial streets and highways;
• Within 200 feet of public parks.

If an owner fails to register these types of business signs in NYC, they can lose the OAC status. But it’s not the only repercussion – owners can also be subjected to fines up to $25,000, and the signs might be permanently removed.

Finally, existing billboard requirements and the kind of documentation an owner needs to keep up with. You should already have the permits required for the initial installation. To be more precise, you should have acquired them, but you may not have the actual permits. You’ll need to request them at the Record Room in your local borough.

You may need to obtain permit-related information for your sign, including copies of construction, electrical, or illuminated sign permits. To request application copies and permit records, contact the Record Room at the appropriate borough office:

• Electronic records – These are obtained at the Department’s Building Information System (BIS).
• Inspection records – These days, you can book your inspection and view your inspection reports online by contacting the Sign Enforcement Unit.
• Hard-copy records – There may be archived documents regulating the property in question. For example, it has a pre-set color scheme that all storefronts need to abide by. It will take at least a week to obtain them.

FAQ

Sign Installation Services By Fortuna Visual Group

If you’re an NYC business owner, Fortuna Visual Group will help you set up a perfect advertisement to give your brand a distinct. We specialize in sign installation that is compliant with all regulations mentioned above. Thus, you can be sure signage will be positioned correctly, and you’ll get your money’s worth.

No matter where you are – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx, New Jersey, or Long Island – we’ll finish the task in record time. We’ve been in the business for over 15 years and created thousands of signs that catch everyone’s attention. Whether you need a storefront, blade and stand, engraved and etched, illuminated, or ADA Braille, get in touch, and we’ll make it happen.

Request a quote if you are interested and share as many ideas you have. As soon as we receive word from you, we will get back to you promptly.