§ 28-6-3. Signs Allowed and Exempted from Permit Requirements.

The following signs are exempt from the permit requirements of Section 28-6-2 of this Article, but are subject to the standards contained herein. Any failure to comply with these standards and any other provisions of this Article shall be considered a violation of this ordinance:

(a)

Signs not exceeding two (2) square feet in area that are customarily associated with a principal residential use and that are not of a commercial nature, including nameplate signs indicating property identification names or the numbers or names of occupants, and signs posted on private property relating to private parking or warning the public against trespassing or danger from animals;

(b)

Signs erected by or on behalf of or pursuant to the authorization of a governmental body, including legal notices, identification and informational signs, and traffic, directional, or regulatory signs;

(c)

Official signs of a noncommercial nature erected by public utilities;

(d)

Flags of any governmental organization when not displayed in connection with a commercial promotion or as an advertising device;

(e)

Incidental signs relative to parking spaces, loading spaces, stacking lanes, entry and exit drives, direction of traffic flow, and pedestrian ways on private property that do not exceed four (4) square feet each;

(f)

One sign per lot containing the message that the real estate on which the sign is located (including buildings) is for sale, lease, or rent, together with information identifying the owner or agent. Such signs shall not be illuminated and shall not exceed four (4) square feet in area in residential districts or thirty-two (32) square feet in area in nonresidential districts, and shall be removed immediately after sale, lease, or rental;

(g)

Construction site identification signs. Such signs shall not be illuminated, and may identify the project, the owner or developer, architect, engineer, contractor and subcontractors, funding sources, and may contain information related to sale or leasing of the premises. Such signs shall not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in area, shall not be erected prior to the issuance of a building permit, and shall be removed upon discontinuance of construction or within thirty (30) days after the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy, whichever occurs first;

(h)

Signs attached temporarily to the interior of a building window or glass door. Such signs, individually or collectively, may not cover more than thirty (30) percent of the surface area of the transparent portion of the window or door to which they are attached. Such signs shall be removed within thirty (30) days after placement;

(i)

Displays, including lighting, erected in connection with the observance of holidays. Such signs shall be removed within ten (10) days following the holidays;

(j)

Signs erected in connection with elections or political campaigns pursuant to RSA 664:14-17-a, Political Advertising, subject to the following conditions:

(1)

Such signs are permitted no sooner than forty-five (45) days prior to an election and must be removed within ten (10) days of the closing of the polls;

(2)

Such signs shall not exceed twenty (20) square feet in area; and

(3)

Such signs shall not be painted, or pasted on the exterior of a building, or placed or affixed in any manner on public property or within street rights-of-way.

(k)

One banner sign per property that does not exceed four (4) square feet in area;

(l)

Building marker signs, and historic marker signs that do not exceed four (4) square feet in area;

(m)

Signs that are recognized as contributing to the National Register status of a property; and

(n)

Banners displaying an "Open" or "Sale" message, provided that only one of said banners shall be permitted per principal use, that the size of said banner shall be no greater than three (3) feet by five (5) feet, that the banner shall be flown only during the hours when the principal use is open for business, and that the height of any pole or support for said banner shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet.