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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Service Club and Religious Notices are "signs and notices, whose erection is authorized by law, relating to meetings of nonprofit service clubs or charitable associations, or religious services, which signs do not exceed 8 square feet in area" (PA Code Section 445.2).

    As noted in State law, private signs should not be placed in the highway right-of-way so that it is kept clear for safety purposes.

    Besides the right-of-way area, Pennsylvania also has regulations on outdoor advertising devices located along routes designated by the Outdoor Advertising Control Act of 1971, which are indicated here. These highways are denoted as controlled routes. A Service Club or Religious Notice may have a PennDOT permit with no annual fee for signs along these roadways if the following conditions are met:

    The landowner gives permission for the device.
    The municipality permits the device.
    The device is outside the highway right-of-way.
    The organization is nonprofit.
    The sign face is eight square feet or less in area.
    Signs with faces larger than eight square feet are considered "off-premise" signs. Permits for these devices do include an annual fee, and the structure must meet additional requirements.

    See the flowchart and application instructions below for guidance regarding an outdoor sign. The Outdoor Advertising Control Outreach Guide linked on the right side of this page can provide more information as well.

    Flowchart for a Service Club or Religious Notice (PDF)

    ​The application process for a permit is available online as well as on paper. To create an online account and begin the digital application, go to the Highway Beautification Management System website at www.hbms.penndot.pa.gov. 

    Under the LOGIN button, click the link in the text, "To request a user account please click here," and register as an individual user. Once you are approved as a user by PennDOT, go back to the HBMS login page and sign in. In the green tabs along the top of the page, hover over "Apply For" and click "New Sign Permit." Under the "Directional or Public Service Signs" category, choose the "SERVICE CLUB/RELIGIOUS NOTICE" option and process through the application. If at any time you need to stop and get more information, you can save your work, log out, and come back later to where you left off.

    Paper applications can also be mailed in instead of using HBMS. A completed RW-746 form should be sent to the District Outdoor Advertising Control Manager contact provided through the link on the right side of this page.