Yonkers, NY Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Window/door signage cap
- 25% of window or door area
- Ground floor transparency
- Minimum 50%, clear untinted glass
- Applies to
- Downtown districts: D-MX, D-IRT, UR-LD, UR-MD, UR-HD
- Upper-story glass tinting cap
- 20%
- Sign permits
- Separate Chapter 47 permit still required
Summary
New nonresidential and mixed-use buildings in Yonkers' downtown districts must keep ground-floor glass at least 50% transparent, and signage can cover no more than 25% of any window or glass door. The rule sits inside the downtown design standards the Design Review Board applies during site plan review, separate from the citywide sign permit process.
The ground floor must maintain a transparency of 50%. No more than 25% of any window or door, if the door is constructed of glass, may be covered with signage of any type.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4745274; v31 updated 2025-10-28; through 10-28-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 43-223A governs new buildings, structures and uses in the downtown districts, D-MX, D-IRT, UR-LD, UR-MD and UR-HD, established by § 43-219 in Article XVIII, added December 28, 2011. Under § 43-223A(1)(d)[2], the ground floor of a nonresidential or mixed-use building must maintain 50% transparency, and no more than 25% of any window or door, where the door is glass, can be covered with signage of any type. Ground floor windows must be clear, untinted glass, and upper-story glass tinting is separately capped at 20%. A parallel, narrower rule at § 43-220A(2)(d) applies the same 25% window and door sign limit to nonresidential ground-floor uses fronting Riverdale Avenue in the UR-HD District, alongside a 12-inch letter-height cap on any wall sign there. Beyond the design standards, § 43-226 routes all downtown signage to Chapter 47's citywide Sign Ordinance, which the Department of Housing and Buildings administers separately through its own permit and license system.
Violations & Fines
A storefront that covers more than 25% of its window or glass door area with signage fails the § 43-223 design standards and can be denied site plan or Design Review Board approval before a certificate of occupancy issues. Separately, erecting any sign without the permit Chapter 47 requires draws a penalty fee equal to twice the unpaid permit fee under § 47-5C, on top of the standard installation fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of a downtown Yonkers storefront window can carry signage?
Does the 25% window sign limit apply everywhere in Yonkers?
Do I still need a sign permit if I comply with the 25% cap?
Can I use tinted glass to hide extra signage in a downtown window?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yonkers
New York rules heatmap·Compare Yonkers to another location·View the New York sign regulations overview
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