Sign Regulations in Lakewood, NJ

If you live in Lakewood or are thinking about moving there, sign regulations are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Lakewood has 4 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of sign regulations, and some of them might surprise you.

Digital Billboards

Lakewood Township caps digital billboards at five townwide, requires a public-bid permit process with a $200 application fee and a $500 annual fee per sign, and limits placement to the B-1, B-3, B-4, HD-6, HD-7 and M-1 zones under UDO § 18-1019.

Key details: Townwide cap: 5 digital billboards. Application deposit: $200 to Township Clerk. Annual fee: $500 per billboard. Max height/length/area: 14 ft / 48 ft / 672 sq ft per face. Spacing between billboards: 3,000 feet, same roadway/direction.

A billboard erected without the required conditional use approval, public-bid permit and Township Clerk deposit, or one that exceeds the five-sign townwide cap, the size/height limits, or the 3,000-foot and 500-foot spacing rules of § 18-1019, is subject to zoning enforcement action, including a stop-work or removal order and denial of the annual permit renewal that funds continued operation.

This is one of the stricter rules in Lakewood's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Window Signs

Lakewood Township caps interior window signage at 25% of the window it's displayed on, with a temporary bump to 50% during community-wide sales if the Zoning Official approves it in advance, capped at 15 days.

Key details: Standard coverage cap: 25% of the window. Sale-event exception: up to 50%, written approval required. Exception duration limit: 15 days maximum. Counts toward: lot's aggregate sign area. Permitting office: Zoning Office.

Signage is regulated under UDO Chapter 18, so a window sign that exceeds the 25% (or approved 50%) coverage cap is enforced through § 18-1109, Remedies and Penalties: up to $1,000 in fines, up to 30 days in jail, or both, for each violation, with continuing noncompliance after a 10-day written notice treated as a fresh violation every 30 days. The Zoning Office can also simply deny or revoke the sign permit.

Garage Sale Signs

Lakewood Township allows a temporary garage or yard sale sign without a permit, but caps it at four square feet, only seven days before the sale, gone within 48 hours after, and no more than two sales per property a year.

Key details: Max size: 4 square feet. Earliest posting: 7 days before the sale. Removal deadline: 48 hours after the sale. Sales per year: 2 per premises. Permit needed: no, exempted sign.

A garage sale sign that runs oversized, goes up too early, stays up past the 48-hour post-sale deadline, or appears for a third sale event in the same calendar year loses its exemption and is treated as an unpermitted sign under § 18-812. Enforcement follows UDO § 18-1109, Remedies and Penalties: up to $1,000 in fines, up to 30 days in jail, or both, per violation, with the Township able to have the noncompliant sign removed.

Political Signs

Lakewood Township exempts political signs from its sign permit process, but caps them at 32 square feet, bars them from blocking sightlines at streets and property lines, and confines their display to the 30 days before an election through 7 days after it.

Key details: Max size: 32 square feet. Permit needed: no, exempted sign. Earliest posting: 30 days before election. Removal deadline: 7 days after election. Sight-line rule: cannot block street/property visibility.

A political sign that exceeds 32 square feet, blocks a sight triangle, or stays up outside the 30-day-before to 7-day-after election window loses its exempt status and becomes an unpermitted sign under § 18-812. Enforcement runs through UDO § 18-1109, Remedies and Penalties: up to $1,000 in fines, up to 30 days in jail, or both, per violation, and the Township may also simply have an oversized or late sign removed.

The Bottom Line

Lakewood's sign regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Lakewood is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Lakewood's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.