Medford, MA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Section 94-6.2.11, item 6 of the Medford zoning ordinance governs window signs on property whose principal use is residential, as recorded by the board of assessors. Where a nonresidential use is permitted on such a lot, only one window sign is allowed, and it cannot exceed 35 percent of the glassed area to which it is attached; the sign owner must first get a permit through the building department's sign-permit process described in sections 94-6.2.4 through 94-6.2.6. Noncommercial window signs displayed on the same residential property are carved out of both restrictions: they are not subject to the 35 percent area cap and do not require a permit.

The commercial, office, industrial, and multi-use zone version of the rule, in section 94-6.2.12, item 6, is stricter in detail: permanent and temporary window signs together cannot exceed 35 percent of the glassed area regardless of how many businesses share the premises, exposed neon or internally-illuminated signs are capped at two four-square-foot signs or one six-square-foot sign, and noncommercial window signs there likewise may not be neon or internally illuminated. Enforcement of both versions runs through the building commissioner under section 94-6.2.7, which requires 30 days' written notice to correct a violation before a permit can be revoked and the sign ordered removed.