Signage
CASID members show pride for their businesses and the district as whole when they install and maintain quality, well-designed signage.
Members planning to install new signs or facade elements on their storefronts can save valuable time and money by making sure that their plans comply with the municipal signage code before beginning work.
City zoning officials monitor Central Avenue regularly for signage violations. If a sign's size or design does not meet code standards, the business owner can be subject to expensive daily fines. Nonconforming signs also disrupt the integrity of the streetscape and hurt business in the long run.
If you are considering putting up a new sign, review the Signage Guidelines provided below to learn about the basics of the city code. Or go straight to the source and read the code itself. The CASID's Signage Recommendations will help you envision best practices to use when improving your storefront.
After reviewing the information below, contact the Jersey City Division of Zoning (201-547-4452) for a review of their plans. Preliminary assistance and recommendations about all aspects of storefront design are also available from the CASID office (201-656-1366). Central Avenue businesses are reminded that registering with the U.E.Z. makes you eligible for the Retail Facade Improvement Program which is a 1:1 matching grant (cap $20,000) for signage and facade improvements.
Signage Guidelines
The following guidelines highlight important points of the City of Jersey City's signage code for buildings in the Neighborhood Commercial Zone. Links are provided to the relevant sections in the code, which is excerpted at the bottom of this page.
- SIZE: The maximum allowable area of a sign on a primary facade is 20 square feet or 5% of the ground floor area being used for commercial purposes, whichever is smaller (§345-68 Table 1). Signs on the secondary facade may be half the width of the primary facade (§345-68 Table 1).
- DESIGN AND PLACEMENT: The design elements of a sign (lettering, materials, lighting, etc.) should be consistent throughout (§345-68.C.1-2). Signs should be in harmony with the architecture of the building; they should be aligned with elements such as windows and trim and should not obscure, conflict or cover architectural elements (§345-68.C.3). A sign may not extend above the lowest point of the roofline of a one-story building or above the top of the ground floor wall of a multi-story building (§345-68.C.4). It may not obstruct any window, door, vent, fire escape, standpipe, or fire hydrant (§345-68.B.4.h). It may not obstruct the view of motorists or pedestrians (§345-68.B.4.i).
- PROJECTION: Signs may project up to 4 feet away from a building. Projecting signs must be mounted more than 8 feet off the ground and be hung on brackets at right angles to the facade (§345-68 Table 1).
- LIGHTING: Signs may not be lighted internally or by a varied illuminated (flashing) light (§345-68.B.4.e). External light sources must not cast any glare on adjacent property and should not be mounted above the top of the front wall of the building or more than 18 feet above street level, whichever is less (§345-68.C.5).
- MOVEMENT: Signs may not be moving, mobile, revolving and/or electrically or mechanically activated (§345-68.B.4.e).
- GRANDFATHERING: Any existing sign that does not conform to the code can continue to exist, but if ANY alterations are made to the structure, shape, size (of structure or lettering area), or illumination of that sign, it must be brought into conformity with the code (§345-68.D.1). If a sign is damaged by more than 50% of its replacement cost at the time of damage, a conforming sign may be required as a replacement (§345-68.D.1).
Businesses outside the Neighborhood Commercial Zone should consult the city's Municipal Code website for information on the regulations specific to their zones.
Signage Diagram
This diagram offers an example of how you can design an attractive storefront that meets municipal code standards and draws customers into your store:
City of Jersey City Municipal Code: § 345-68. Signs
A. Exempt Signs.
- Any public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state, county or local law, regulation or ordinance.
- Any sign which is inside a building, not attached to a window or door, and is not readable from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the lot or parcel nearest to where such sign is located.
- Holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message.
- Any sign indicating the name of a building and/or date of construction and/or other incidental information about its construction, which may be cut into a masonry surface or made of bronze or of similar permanent material such as historic tablets, cornerstones, memorial plaques and emblems.
- Traffic control signs on private property, which meet Department of Transportation standards, and which contain no commercial message of any sort.
- Flags of the United States, New Jersey, the City of Jersey City and flags of foreign nations.
- Signs or banners advertising public or quasi-public events that are posted with the permission of the City Council or of any person to whom the City Council has delegated this authority according to guidelines set by the City Council.
- Pump mounted fuel price informational signs subject to the following:
- a. Only one fuel price informational sign shall be permitted per fuel pump.
- b. Fuel price informational signs shall be limited in size to an area of two hundred sixteen (216) square inches in accordance with State and Federal regulations.
- c. Each fuel price informational sign shall be affixed directly and firmly to a fuel pump and shall be stationary.
- d. Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the advertisement of fuel prices on any other sign meeting the requirements of this section.
- 9. U.S. Postal Regulation Mailboxes.
- 10. Political Signs. Such signs may be displayed for a period of not more than thirty (30) days before the election and not more than three days after the election.
B. Zoning Standards.
- Individual Sign Area Measurement.
- a. The area of a sign face (which is also the sign area of a wall sign or other sign with only one face) shall be computed by means of the smallest square, circle, rectangle, triangle or combination thereof that will encompass the extreme limits of the writing, graphic illustration, picture, symbol or other display, together with any material or color forming an integral part of the background of the sign. For purposes of calculating sign area, any illuminated border including those which may frame a window shall be included in the sign area calculation and used to differentiate the sign from the backdrop or structure against which it is placed. This does not include any supporting framework, bracing or decorative fence or wall when such fence or wall otherwise meets zoning regulations and is clearly incidental to the sign itself.
- b. No sign shall have more than two display faces. The sign area for a sign with two display faces shall be computed by adding together the area of all the sign’s faces which are visible from any one point. When a sign has two display faces such that both faces cannot be viewed from any one point at the same time, the sign’s area shall be computed by the measurement of the larger of the two faces.
- Glazed Area. Any glazing in doorways shall be considered part of the glazed area. For purposes of calculating window signs, a window shall be considered the glazed area. Signs which are required by county, state or federal agencies are exempt from calculation of permanent signage.
- Measurement of Height. The height of a freestanding sign shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at normal grade to the top of the highest attached component of the sign. Normal grade shall be considered to be the lower of existing grade prior to construction or the newly established grade after construction, exclusive or any filing, bering, mounding or excavation solely for the purpose of locating the sign. In cases in which the normal grade cannot reasonably be determined, the sign height shall be computed on the assumption that the elevation of the normal grade at the base of the sign is equal to the elevation of the nearest point of the crown of a public road or the grade of the land at the principal entrance to the principal structure on the lot, whichever is lower.
- The following signs are prohibited:
- a. No billboards or other off-site advertising signs shall be erected, used or maintained within the City of Jersey City except in the CBD Central Business District.
- b. No signs shall be placed on fences, walls, utility poles, trees, railway or road bridges, bridge supports or abutments, retaining walls, parking meters or water towers unless approved by the City Council.
- c. No roof signs, also known as “sky signs” shall be allowed except in the CBD.
- d. No sign shall be placed on an accessory building.
- e. No sign shall be lighted by means of a varied illuminated light, nor shall any sign be in whole or in any part moving, mobile, revolving and/or electrically or mechanically activated except in the CBD Central Business District. Signs displaying the time and/or temperature shall be permitted in non residential districts.
- f. No sign shall be allowed with the optical illusion of movement by means of a design which presents a pattern capable of reverse perspective, giving the illusion of motion or changing copy except in the CBD.
- g. No signs shall be allowed that are placed on or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers which are parked on a public right-of-way, public property or private property so as to be visible from a public right-of-way where the apparent purpose is to advertise a product, service or activity or direct people to a business or activity. This is not intended, however, to prohibit signs placed on or affixed to vehicles, buses or trailers where the sign is incidental to the primary use of the vehicle or trailer.
- h. No sign shall be allowed to obstruct any window or door opening used as a means of egress, interferes with an opening required for legal ventilation, or is attached to or obstructs any standpipe, fire escape or fire hydrant.
- i. No sign shall be allowed which obstructs the view of vehicle operators or pedestrians entering a public roadway from any parking area, service drive, public driveway, alley or other thoroughfare.
- j. No building sign shall be greater than four feet from the building face.
- The following signs and the standards and conditions that govern such signs are set forth in the sign matrix. All other signs are expressly prohibited.
C. Design Standards.
- Signs shall be in harmony and consistent with the architecture of the building and relate to the features of the building in terms of location, scale, color, lettering, materials, texture and depth. Signs shall not be dominant but shall be proportionate and shall complement the building, existing signs and surroundings.
- There shall be consistent sign design throughout a particular project. The design elements include style of lettering, construction materials, size and illumination.
- Building signs shall not obscure, conflict with or cover any architectural element and must be aligned with major building elements such as windows, trim and structure lines.
- No sign shall extend or project above the highest elevation of the wall to which it is attached or above the lowest part of the roofline of the building, whichever is less.
- Illuminated Signs.
- a. Internally illuminated signs shall only be permitted in the HC, and C/A zones.
- b. Signs lit by external sources shall be allowed but shall be located in such a manner so as to avoid any glare on adjacent property. Sources of sign illumination shall be completely shielded from the view of vehicular traffic using the road or roads abutting the lot on which the sign is located.
- c. External lights used for the illumination of any sign on a mounted building, whether or not such light fixtures are attached to or separate from the building, shall not extend above the highest elevation of the front wall of the building or more than eighteen (18) feet above the street level of the premises, whichever is less.
- Signs and sign structures of all types shall be located to allow a clear, unobstructed line of sight for three hundred (300) feet from the stop line of any intersection of streets and/or driveways. No sign shall project into a sight triangle below the second story floor level or the height of a traffic signal or traffic directional sign in the intersection, whichever is higher.
D. Nonconforming Signs.
- No nonconforming sign may be enlarged or altered in a way which would increase its nonconformity. Existing nonconforming permanent signs may continue to exist; however, when the sign is modified either in shape, size, illumination or structure, the sign shall be altered to conform to the provisions of this section.
- Should any nonconforming sign be damaged by any means to an extent of more than fifty percent (50%) of its replacement cost at time of damage, it shall not be reconstructed except in conformity with the provisions of this section.
Table 1: Sign Standards for Retail Offices, Financial Institutions, Restaurants, and Bars (Design Standards in §345-68 shall apply).
§ 345-77. Violations and penalties.
A. Any person, firm or corporation who violates, disobeys, omits, neglects or refuses to comply with or who resists the enforcement of any of the provisions of this chapter or any order, decision or determination by the Board of Adjustment and who refuses to abate said violation within fourteen (14) days after written notice has been served upon them by registered mail or by personal service shall, for each and every violation, be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions. Each and every day that such violation continues after such notice shall be considered a separate and specific violation of this chapter without the service of an additional notice. If any person shall undertake any activity vis-à-vis an individual landmark or landmark building, structure, object, site, or landmark feature within a historic district, without first having obtained a certificate of appropriateness or a certificate of no effect, such person shall be deemed in violation of this Article. Fines not paid within the time period set by law shall convert to a tax lien placed against the property and shall be recorded with the Jersey City Property Tax Office and the Hudson County Register of Deeds and Mortgages.
B. In case any building or structure is erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, moved, repaired, converted, maintained or used or any land is used in violation of or contrary to the provisions of this chapter or any order, decision or determination by the Board of Adjustment, the city may institute any appropriate action or proceeding in City, county or state court to prevent such unlawful erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, conversion, maintenance or use; to restrain, correct or abate such violation; to prevent the occupancy of said building structure or land; or to prevent any illegal act, conduct, business or use in or about such premises.
C. Any citizen of the city may notify the Construction Official in writing of conditions in violation of this chapter. An appeal may be made to the governing body in writing and thereafter to the courts.
§ 1-25. General penalty.
[Amended 3-27-02 by Ord. No. 02-035]
A. Notwithstanding any other section of this Code or any other ordinance, the maximum penalty for violating any provision of this Code shall be, in the discretion of the Court, a fine of up to $1,250.00 and/or imprisonment for a period of up to ninety (90) days and/or a period of community service not exceeding ninety (90) days. Each day a violation of any provision of this Code or any ordinance shall continue shall constitute a separate offense. This section shall not affect any mandatory minimum penalty established by any section of the Code or ordinance.
B. In addition to the penalties hereinabove provided, any condition caused or permitted to exist in violation of any of the provisions of this Code or any ordinance shall be deemed to be a public nuisance and may be abated by the city as provided by law, and each day that such condition continues shall be regarded as a new and separate offense.