Sign Regulations in Philadelphia, PA (2026)
5 verified sign regulations for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Philadelphia's Zoning Code has no separate political-sign category: a campaign sign counts as a temporary sign, exempt from a zoning permit if it's 6 sq ft or less in a Residential district (12 sq ft in Commercial, Industrial, or Special Purpose districts) and just one per street frontage.
Philadelphia Political Yard Signs Need No Permit
Light RestrictionsPhiladelphia Code § 14-903(2)(d)
The erection or placement of one temporary sign per street frontage not exceeding the following sizes: (.1) In a Residential district: six sq. ft. per sign face. (.2) In a Commercial, Industrial, or Special Purpose district: 12 sq. ft. per sign face.
Holiday Displays
Philadelphia's zoning outdoor lighting standards don't apply to seasonal displays used fewer than 60 days a year, so holiday string lights and yard displays skip the shielding, cutoff-fixture, and lighting-plan rules that govern permanent exterior lighting.
Philadelphia Exempts Seasonal Lighting Under 60 Days
Few RestrictionsPhiladelphia Code § 14-707(2)(f)
The outdoor lighting standards of this section apply to all exterior site and parking lot lighting installed on private lots after the effective date of this Zoning Code except: ... (f) Seasonal outdoor lighting used less than 60 days per calendar year.
Digital Billboards
Philadelphia limits digital billboard brightness, bans motion, and keeps new digital signs 500 feet from residential zones.
Digital Billboards Capped at 6,500 Nits
Some RestrictionsPhiladelphia Code § 14-905(8)
During daylight hours luminance of a digital billboard shall be no greater than 6,500 nits. At all other times, luminance of a digital billboard shall be no greater than 450 nits... All motion is prohibited on digital displays. Only static text and graphics shall be permitted... The duration of each display shall be no less than eight (8) seconds.
Window Signs
Window signs in Philadelphia can't cover more than 20% of a window or glass door's transparent area, per the zoning code.
Philadelphia Window Sign Coverage Limit
Some RestrictionsPhiladelphia Code § 14-904(1)(i)
Window signs shall be limited to the ground floor... The total area of signs placed within a window or transparent glass door shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the total transparent glazed area of the window or transparent glass door within which they are placed... Signs may be placed in no more than two windows; two transparent glass doors; or one window and one transparent glass door.
Freeway-Facing Signs
Outdoor advertising signs are barred within 660 feet of I-95 and I-76 ramps, with digital conversion allowed only in that same freeway-facing corridor.
Philadelphia Bans Billboards Near Freeway Ramps
Significant RestrictionsPhiladelphia Code § 14-905(10)(b)
Outdoor advertising signs and non-accessory signs shall be prohibited: ... (b) Within 660 ft. of all ingress and/or egress ramps of the Delaware expressway (I-95), from the Bucks County Line to the Delaware County Line, and the Schuylkill expressway (I-76), between the Montgomery County Line and the Walt Whitman Bridge;