Plainfield, NJ Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Section 17:9-51 of the Plainfield Municipal Code defines a window sign broadly: a sign applied, painted, hung, affixed or attached to the interior or exterior of a window, or otherwise part of a window, or located within 18 inches of the interior of the window, and visible from a public street or public parking facility. The area standard is one line: the maximum area for a window sign is 25% of the window. Sign area is measured to include the frame, trim or molding, and where there is no framing, the smallest rectangle that encompasses all the figures and elements.

Upper floors get their own rule. Window signs are allowed for permitted upper-floor commercial occupancies in the City of Plainfield.

Two exempt categories sit in the window. Credit or charge card signs, and signs showing membership in professional or trade organizations, need no permit if each stays at one square foot or less. Real estate signs for nonresidential property are capped at 20 square feet, and a window sign of up to 20 square feet is used when the required setback of at least 10 feet from all property lines does not exist. All real estate signs come down within two weeks of execution of a contract or closing for the lease or sale.

Everything else needs a development permit. Property owners apply to the Zoning Officer, who denies any sign that does not conform and tells the applicant that land use board approval is required. Any sign not expressly permitted is prohibited, signs that obstruct a fire escape, door, window or other required accessway are prohibited, and when a business leaves, signs no longer relating to the prior use are removed immediately. In a historic district or on a historic site, § 17:10-4 also lists signs among the exterior changes that need a Certificate of Appropriateness.