Sign Regulations in Southborough, MA (2026)
5 verified sign regulations for Southborough, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
In Southborough, the sign bylaw at § 174-11 names temporary political signs once: banners or similar devices, otherwise barred as signs, can be used for them. Temporary signs are listed among those needing no permit from the Inspector of Buildings, and temporary signs shall not be maintained for more than a thirty-day period unless proper sign permits have been obtained.
Southborough Political Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsSouthborough Code § 174-11(C)(1)(i), (C)(2)(h), (C)(11)
(1) Permit not required. The following types of signs do not require a permit from the Inspector of Buildings: ... (i) Temporary signs. ... (h) Banners, pennants, streamers, ribbons, spinners and other moving, fluttering, revolving or changing devices and strings of lights shall not be used as signs or parts thereof, provided that lights may be used as part of a religious celebration not connec...
Garage Sale Signs
Southborough's sign bylaw names garage and yard sales as temporary signs. Temporary signs need no permit under § 174-11(C)(1)(i), must come down promptly after the sale ends, and cannot stay up more than thirty days without a sign permit, as determined by the Inspector of Buildings. In residential districts the sign table caps a temporary sign at 6 square feet and one per lot.
Southborough Garage Sale and Temporary Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsSouthborough Code § 174-11(B), (C)(1)(i), (C)(11)
TEMPORARY SIGNS Any and every sign which by its design and/or use is temporary in nature, frequently composed of paper, posterboard and/or cardboard or other material attached so as to be visible through windows and glass doors or otherwise displayed on a property, typically containing messages relative to sale, lease, rental or construction of property, garage or yard sales and similar occasio...
Holiday Displays
Southborough exempts temporary decorative or holiday lighting from its Outdoor Illumination bylaw. Section 174-12.1(B)(1)(c) lists it among the exceptions to the lumen-based rules, and the sign bylaw at § 174-11(C)(2)(h) allows lights as part of a religious celebration not connected to commercial promotion. Neither section prints a number of days for how long a display can stay up.
Southborough Holiday Lighting Display Rules
Light RestrictionsSouthborough Code § 174-11(C)(2)(h); § 174-12.1(B)(1)(c)
(h) Banners, pennants, streamers, ribbons, spinners and other moving, fluttering, revolving or changing devices and strings of lights shall not be used as signs or parts thereof, provided that lights may be used as part of a religious celebration not connected to commercial promotion, and further provided that banners or similar devices may be used for temporary political signs. ... (1) Outdo...
Digital Billboards
Southborough bans billboards and similar signs outright. Section 174-11(C)(2)(b) prohibits them, and (C)(2)(c) prohibits flashing, moving, changing message and animated signs, which is the category a digital display falls into. The Building Inspector issues every sign permit, and no sign can be lit between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless it identifies a police or fire station or a business open to the public on site.
Southborough Billboard and Changing-Message Sign Ban
Heavy RestrictionsSouthborough Code § 174-11(C)(2)(a)-(d), (C)(3)
(a) The only signs allowed in the Town of Southborough are signs that advertise, call attention to or indicate the person occupying the premises on which the sign is erected or maintained or the business transacted thereon or that advertise the property itself or any part thereof as for sale or rent and which contain no other matter. (b) Billboards and similar signs are specifically prohibite...
Window Signs
In Southborough, a window sign is a sign of individual letters or graphics painted or affixed to, or hanging behind, the glass of a window or door and visible from outside. A business gets not more than two of four sign types: wall, window, standing or awning. Combined wall, window and awning signs are capped by the lesser of 10 percent of the facade or a square-foot limit.
Southborough Window Sign Limits
Some RestrictionsSouthborough Code § 174-11(B), (C)(4)-(5), (D) notes 3-4
WINDOW SIGN Any and every sign consisting of individual letters or graphics painted or otherwise similarly affixed directly to, or hanging behind, the glass surface of a window or door and designed to be visible from the outside of any building. ... (4) Maximum number of signs allowed. Unless otherwise provided herein there shall be not more than two of the four following types of signs: wall, ...