Pittsburgh, PA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Street-level window signs
- Max 2, 20% of glazing, 8 sq ft
- Upper-floor window signs
- Max 2, 50% of glazing, 10 sq ft
- Where it applies
- East Carson St. NBD District only
- Enforcing office
- Bureau of Building Inspection
Summary
In Pittsburgh's East Carson Street Neighborhood Business Sign District, street-level shops get two window signs capped at 20% of window glazing, up to eight square feet each.
For each street level business, a maximum of one (1) wall sign, two (2) window signs, and either one (1) awning sign or one (1) projecting sign or one (1) ground sign shall be permitted for each façade of a structure facing a street.
(b) For each upper floor business, a maximum of two (2) window signs, one (1) door sign, and either one (1) awning sign or one (1) projecting sign shall be permitted for each façade of a structure facing a street.
(c) The maximum area of all signs, including ground signs, shall be fifteen (15) percent of the area of the face of the building on which the signs are proposed. For ground signs, the area of the face of the building nearest to and visible from the ground signs shall be considered for this calculation.
2. Sign Size.
(a) Wall signs shall be a maximum of two (2) square feet in area for every lineal foot of building frontage, up to a maximum of forty (40) square feet. Maximum lettering Size shall be eighteen (18) inches high.
(b) For each street level business window and door signs shall be a maximum of twenty (20) percent of the glazed area of the window or door in which they are placed up to a maximum of eight (8) square feet. For each upper floor business, window or door signs shall be a maximum of fifty (50) percent of the glazed area of the window or door in which they are placed, up to a maximum of ten (10) square feet.
(c)
Full Breakdown
Pittsburgh's Neighborhood Business Sign District rules, written for pedestrian-oriented commercial strips, cap window signage: a street-level business may post up to two window signs, together no more than 20% of the glazed window or door area and never over 8 square feet. Upper-floor businesses also get two window signs, at a looser 50%-of-glazing cap, up to 10 square feet. East Carson Street on the South Side is currently the only zoning-designated Neighborhood Business Sign District, so these specific caps don't apply citywide, outside it, window signage falls under the general nonadvertising-sign rules of Chapter 919, which don't set a glazing-percentage limit.
Violations & Fines
Window signs beyond the count or glazing-percentage caps are zoning violations; the Bureau of Building Inspection can deny or revoke the sign permit and require the excess signage removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these window sign limits apply everywhere in Pittsburgh?
How many window signs can an East Carson Street shop display?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pittsburgh
Compare Pittsburgh to another location·View the Pennsylvania sign regulations overview
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