Franklin Township, PA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Illumination hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Monday-Sunday
- Business-hours limit
- Signs lit only while business is open
- General lighting cross-reference
- Must also meet § 27-1607 glare standard
- Blinking/flashing
- Prohibited except temporary holiday lighting
- Enforcing officer
- Township Zoning Officer
Summary
Franklin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, limits when a freestanding sign or billboard may be lit and folds that limit into its Township-wide glare rules. Code Section 27-2017 confines illumination to 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., seven days a week, and only during business hours, while Section 27-2018 requires all sign lighting to meet the general lighting standards of Section 27-1607, which caps ambient glare at the property line.
D. In no event shall the ambient lighting from all sources exceed 0.2 footcandle of incident light or glare at the property line of adjacent properties or upon vehicular traffic roadways. ... ... § 27-2017. Hours of Illumination for Freestanding Signs and Directories. ... ... 1. Monday through Sunday, 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 2. Signs may only be illuminated during business hours. § 27-2018. Lighting to Agree With Lighting Ordinances. ... ... 1. All lighting of signs must agree with lighting ordinances. See § 27-1607.
Full Breakdown
, and only while the associated business is actually open, so an off-premises billboard or a freestanding business sign cannot stay lit overnight or outside operating hours. Section 27-2018 then folds sign lighting into the Township's general performance standard in Section 27-1607: no exterior lighting fixture, sign-mounted or otherwise, may direct glare, light trespass or radiation onto the street or a neighboring property, and the fixture must be shielded so its light does not exceed the ambient limit set for the property line. Section 27-1607 also bars any exterior lighting, again including sign lighting, from blinking, flashing or fluttering, or from changing intensity, brightness or color, except for temporary holiday lighting.
cutoff, lit before business hours, or fitted with an unshielded or glare-producing fixture, is out of compliance with both sections at once. The Zoning Officer administers Chapter 27 and issues the permits required before any freestanding sign is erected under Section 27-2306 and Section 27-2307; a lighting violation is treated the same as any other zoning violation for enforcement purposes.
Violations & Fines
A sign or billboard illuminated outside the 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. window, lit outside business hours, or lit with a fixture that violates the Section 27-1607 glare and shielding standards, draws a written enforcement notice from the Zoning Officer under Section 27-2304. An owner who does not correct the lighting or successfully appeal to the Zoning Hearing Board faces a civil judgment of up to $500 plus court costs and the Township's attorney fees, with each day of continued noncompliance counted as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can a lit billboard or freestanding sign operate in Franklin Township?
Does sign lighting have to meet the Township's general glare rules?
Can a sign have blinking or color-changing lights?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin Township
Compare Franklin Township to another location·View the Pennsylvania outdoor lighting overview
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