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Hackensack, NJ Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Coverage cap
20% of window area
Zones
B and M nonresidential districts
Permitted content
Membership, credit card, license, sale notices, menus
Hand-lettered signs
Banned outright
Restaurant display case
Max 1.5 sq. ft.

Summary

In Hackensack's Business and Manufacturing districts, window signage content is limited to specific categories, membership emblems, credit-card decals, required licenses, in-store sale notices, and restaurant menus, and restaurant menus displayed in the window count toward a 20% coverage cap set elsewhere in the same subsection.

Window signs. ... Permitted contents of window signs include window signs limited to indicate membership in a retail or professional organization or credit card or credit association, to show manufacturers' or required licenses, advertisements referable to sales within, or a menu of food items where the business use is a restaurant. ... Restaurant menus. Menus for restaurants may be displayed as part of window signage within the 20% cap established above, and as follows:

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4592721; v20 updated 2026-01-06; through 01-06-2026).

Full Breakdown

4K(1)(a) governs signs in the B and M zone districts, and its window-sign clause, [3], limits permitted window-sign content to "membership in a retail or professional organization or credit card or credit association," required manufacturer or license postings, advertisements for sales happening inside, or a restaurant's food menu. Clause [4] excludes required governmental license or permit signs from the maximum area calculation entirely. 5 square feet or a portable A-frame sandwich board kept within two feet of the entrance and outside a five-foot buffer from the sidewalk curb.

4H(4)(t), regardless of the coverage cap, so a business cannot letter a sign by hand on the inside of its own glass even within the 20% allowance.

Violations & Fines

Window signage that exceeds the 20% coverage cap, displays content outside the permitted categories, or is hand-lettered on the interior glass (banned outright under § 175-13.4H(4)(t)) is enforceable under § 175-13.4G(1); the Zoning Officer can order correction or removal, and Chapter 1, § 1-15 penalties apply, with each day a separate offense heard in Municipal Court.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much of my storefront window can I cover with signage in Hackensack?
In the B and M zone districts, § 175-13.4K(1)(a) caps window signage, including restaurant menus, at a "20% cap," with content limited to categories such as membership emblems, credit-card decals, required licenses, in-store sale notices, and restaurant food menus.
Can I hand-letter a sign on the inside of my shop window?
No. Section 175-13.4H(4)(t) bans "hand-lettered interior window signs" outright, regardless of the 20% coverage cap that applies to other window signage.
Can a restaurant post its menu in the window?
Yes, restaurant menus are permitted window-sign content under § 175-13.4K(1)(a)[3] and [5], but they still count toward the 20% window-area cap unless displayed instead in a wall-mounted case no larger than 1.5 square feet or on an A-frame sign near the entrance.
Does a required license posted in the window count against my sign area?
No. Governmental signs required by federal, state, county or municipal law, such as license or permit postings, are excluded from the maximum window-area coverage calculation under § 175-13.4K(1)(a)[4].

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Hackensack

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All Hackensack rules

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