Troy, NY Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Section 285-97 of the Troy City Code sets the general sign regulations that apply in every zone district in the City of Troy, New York. Subsection Q covers window signs: signs displayed on or within one foot of the windows of activities conducted in any structure, in any zone, are permitted subject to two conditions.

The first is the coverage cap. A displayed sign can cover no more than 20% of the window area if it is painted on a background color or illuminated, or 50% if there is no painted background or illumination. The line is drawn by treatment, not by size: a plain lettered sign with no background and no lighting gets the larger 50% allowance, while a sign on a painted background or one that lights up drops to 20%. The one-foot reach matters too, because a sign hung behind the glass counts the same as one applied to it.

The second condition is a benefit. The displayed sign area is not considered part of the sign area on the property, as long as the sign conforms to the lighting and letter size standards of the appropriate zone. A shop can therefore keep a conforming window sign without using up the per-property allowance that applies to its wall or freestanding signs.

Two neighboring rules shape how window signs are measured and lit. Under § 285-97D, when a sign consists only of individual letters, numerals or symbols and is painted or otherwise attached to a window or other flat surface, its area is the area within the continuous perimeter of the geometric shapes the section lists. Under § 285-97L(1), no sign can flash, have intermittent lighting, have red, green or amber illumination, or display a moving copy or message that would cause motorist confusion, which reaches illuminated window signs facing the street. Signs that need a permit go to the Director, who must issue a work permit or a denial within 24 hours of a completed application (§ 285-97A(2)). Appeals go only to the Troy Zoning Board of Appeals, and then to the Supreme Court of the State of New York per § 285-43.