Trenton, NJ Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

Zoning Code Sec. 9 splits billboards into two tiers. A billboard up to 300 square feet and 20 feet tall needs only a zoning permit and can locate in the I-L or I-G industrial districts, at least 1,000 feet from the D&R Canal. Once a billboard exceeds 300 square feet, it steps into the large-billboard tier governed by Sec. C, which caps the sign at 672 square feet, including trim, with a maximum vertical length of 14 feet and a maximum horizontal length of 48 feet, and a maximum height of 30 feet.

1 requires that the billboard 'be located in an I-L or I-G District to show only toward a limited-access highway, per NJ DOT outdoor advertising standards,' meaning the sign face must be oriented at highway traffic rather than at surrounding streets or neighborhoods. Any billboard over 300 square feet also triggers a conditional-use approval requirement under Sec. 2, on top of the standard zoning permit, and a billboard sited within 500 feet of a residential or commercial and mixed-use district needs conditional-use approval regardless of size.

Every billboard, large or small, must additionally stay at least 300 feet from a residential district, cannot extend over a public sidewalk, cannot be stacked next to another billboard, and cannot be placed on top of a building.