What the published sign by-law allows at an address, with the source behind every number — early, while you are still estimating. Two short steps to an answer. Start with the location; add dimensions when you have them.
Start with the location. You do not need sign dimensions yet.
Saved in this browser only. Nothing here is sent to SignAllow. Loading one fills in the form; running it again follows the normal check rules.
Choose an address suggestion to check available government maps. You can also type an address and select the municipality for a manual check, or leave the address blank to explore the general rules.
Not identified automaticallyToronto sign districts need a manual check in SignView. Automatic sign-district selection is not available here yet. Heritage map checks are separate.
Don’t know it? SignView — the sign-district map, not the zoning map ↗ — search your address there.
The map area or by-law category used to select sign rules. It may differ from zoning. Confirm the applicable category using the municipality’s map or written advice.
General explanation; local definitions and measurement rules control. Check Toronto’s source ↗
This changes the presentation and available report options, not the rules or calculation. You can change it after the check.
Want to read it as written? Municipal Code Chapter 694 — Signs, General ↗ — consolidated 3 June 2024.
Choose the type that matches your sign. Dimensions can come later.
Other sign purposes
These categories currently prepare a municipal review. Size limits, fees and permit exemptions are not calculated yet.
Count display faces on this one sign, not separate signs. Dimensions can come later.
Each municipality can count faces differently. A per-face limit is not permission to multiply the total allowance.
Review guidance only: no size allowance, permit exemption, fee or permitted display period is calculated for these categories yet. You can record a proposal and save a preliminary report with the open questions.
Enter your intended dates, not a permitted duration. Renewal, repeat displays and removal deadlines still need confirmation.
Initial coverage: Oakville’s commercial, employment, mixed-use and institutional categories. Other municipalities and special uses need a separate review. This is a preliminary check against the published 2022 consolidation; later amendments remain unverified.
Motor vehicle businesses, drive-through facilities and third-party advertising need separate review. Choose “Other content or a special use” above. Illuminated signs and electronic displays are outside this initial calculation.
Measure one rectangular window, excluding its frame. Use explicit units: m, cm, ft or inches; bare numbers mean feet. Do not combine panes or transfer spare area between windows. For the proposed sign, enter the enclosing rectangle around the complete message; irregular layouts need confirmation.
This is the building’s storey count, not the sign’s location. Clarington uses it to select the shared wall-and-awning allowance. Subdivision sales offices have a separate table provision.
Exclude the sign you are proposing or replacing and any signs being removed. Leave uncertain quantities blank. Your answer is not independently verified.
No single sign-count limit is calculated for this selection. Confirm how the municipality counts existing signs.
A size limit for one sign is not automatically spare capacity on a wall or property. No shared-area deduction is calculated for this selection.
Not sure about placement? Leave it as “Not sure” and review the limits first. A sign type that is not listed needs a separate review.
Review what the maps found, then work through one follow-up at a time. You can leave questions open while exploring a sign before it is designed.
You can download a preliminary report before a sign is designed. Missing dimensions and unresolved reviews remain clearly identified.
Local history and team links keep basic details: location, sign type, district, building type, lighting and building measurements. They do not keep proposed sign dimensions, site-review answers or reports. Choose Save to my account to retain the full proposal and dated reports. For a customer handoff, download the neutral customer assessment.
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No sign design yet? That is fine. A wall or frontage measurement helps calculate the size allowance; proposed sign dimensions are optional. Use feet/inches or metric: 12 ft, 6 in, 3.5m or 150mm. Numbers without a unit are read as feet. Leave anything unknown blank.
Wall signs are usually sized off the wall they sit on, so this is the measurement that turns the rule into a number. A rough answer is fine.
The length of the property along the relevant street. Building frontage can mean something different. Use the measurement basis in your result; do not add street edges together unless the rule allows it.
General explanation; local definitions and measurement rules control. Check Toronto’s source ↗
The display area counted toward the sign-size limit. Separate letters, borders and multiple faces can be counted differently. Confirm the local method before entering the sign’s width and height.
General explanation; local definitions and measurement rules control. Check Toronto’s source ↗
Sign height is the display’s vertical size. Overall height runs from the required ground reference to the top of the sign. Check the local ground reference and what must be included.
General explanation; local definitions and measurement rules control. Check Toronto’s source ↗
Type them exactly as the drawing reads — 54'-1", 16m (52 ft), 11' 4" all work.
Manual review of the property and sign location. Address, zoning and heritage checks do not settle this overlay. Open the official district index and maps. If the boundary is unclear, ask Building Services and leave this unchecked.
Manual confirmation — an address or projecting sign does not establish an overhang. Compare the proposed sign with the property line on a survey or reliable site plan. Leave “Haven’t checked” if the location is undecided.
| Standard | Allowable | Proposed | Ref |
|---|
Every reference in that last column is a link into the by-law text itself.
Chapter 694 · Consolidated 3 June 2024 · PDF
A consolidation is the by-law’s text with its later amendments folded in; the date says how current that copy is.
Open the by-law ↗Straight to the sections the numbers above come from:
| What you want | Where it is | |
|---|---|---|
| Wall / fascia area | §694-20, then the district table in §694-21 | open ↗ |
| Ground sign area and height | §694-21, district tables | open ↗ |
| Variance | §694-30; Sign Variance Committee at §§694-32–694-39 | open ↗ |
| Structure | §694-5B(6) — no sign permit until the Chief Building Official’s approval under the Building Code Act is obtained, where applicable | open · p.14 ↗ |
Page jumps are close, not exact — a cover sheet or table of contents can shift a PDF by a page or two. The section number is the reliable part.
Also worth having open:
Permission requested to depart from a by-law requirement. Approval is not guaranteed, and a variance does not replace any other permits or approvals the proposal needs.
General explanation; local definitions and measurement rules control. Check Toronto’s source ↗
Each figure shows when it was last checked and against what. Anything over a year old, or a fee we checked before the most recent January (when most cities raise their fees), is marked out of date and is not shown as current. How we keep it current →
Search quotes, rule labels and citations on file for Toronto across all sign districts. This is not the complete by-law. A match may not apply to your address; check its district and source.
Showing the original excerpts for this check below. Search uses no additional checks.
Each figure above, in the by-law’s own words. Every quote was checked against the published document, and is re-checked whenever the document is re-read; a figure without one is not published.
“B. No sign permit shall be issued until approvals have been obtained, where applicable, from the following: (1) Ontario Ministry of Transportation; (2) Toronto and Region Conservation Authority; (3) City's General Manager, Transportation Services, in accordance with § 694-17 of this chapter; (4) City's Heritage Preservation Services, City Planning; (5) City's Tree Preservation Services, Parks Forestry and Recreation; and (6) The Chief Building Official, pursuant to the Building Code Act, 1992 .”
Structure: §694-5B(6) — no sign permit until the Chief Building Official’s approval under the Building Code Act is obtained, where applicable
“the total sign face area of all wall signs erected on an office building shall not exceed 20 percent of the area of the wall at the first storey on which the signs are erected”
“The total sign face area for all wall signs erected on a wall shall not exceed 15 percent of the area of the wall at the first storey on which the signs are erected less the sign face area of any electronic wall signs erected on the wall at that storey”
Wall signs may cover up to 15% of first-storey wall area, less any electronic wall sign on that wall. For example, a storefront 10 m (33 ft) wide with a 4 m (13 ft) tall first storey works out to 6 m² (65 sq ft).
“wall sign - a sign erected on and entirely supported by the wall of a building with a sign face which projects no more than 0.60 metre from the wall”
It can stick out no more than 0.6 m (2 ft) from the wall.
“There shall be no more than one sign erected on each wall of a building to a maximum of two signs”
“The sign shall only be erected on an office building containing 10 or more storeys”
Building: an office building of 10+ storeys
“The sign face area shall not exceed 20 percent of the area of the wall at the uppermost storey, mechanical penthouse or parapet wall on which the sign is erected”
The upper-storey sign may cover up to 20% of the wall.
“The sign face area shall not exceed 0.3 square metres for each 1.0 metre or part thereof of frontage at which the sign is erected to a maximum of 15.0 square metres”
The ground sign allowance tops out at 15 m² (161 sq ft), however big the building or lot.
You get 0.3 m² (3.2 sq ft) of ground sign for every metre (3 ft 3 in) of frontage. For example, a lot with 30 m (98 ft) of street frontage works out to 9 m² (97 sq ft).
“There shall be no more than one such sign erected at each frontage”
One ground sign per frontage.
“The height shall not exceed 7.5 metres”
The ground sign can be no taller than 7.5 m (25 ft).
“The sign shall not be erected within 6.0 metres of the intersection of two street lines”
Keep it at least 6 m (20 ft) from an intersection.
“The sign shall not be erected within 2.0 metres of any property line”
Keep it at least 2 m (6 ft 7 in) back from the property line.
“The sign face area shall not exceed 0.5 square metres”
A directional sign can be no larger than 0.5 m² (5.4 sq ft).
“There shall be no more than two such signs erected at each point of vehicular ingress and egress to the premises”
2 directional signs per vehicular entrance.
“The height shall not exceed 1.5 metres”
The directional sign can be no taller than 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in).
“Where erected at the first storey, the height shall not exceed 1.5 times the vertical distance between grade and the top boundary of the first storey of the building wall upon which the sign is located, and the sign shall not extend above the sill of the lowest window at the second storey of the wall on which the sign is erected”
at the first storey, no taller than 1.5 times the height of that storey (grade to the top of the first storey), and never above the sill of the lowest second-storey window
“The total sign face area of all wall signs erected at the first storey shall not exceed 20 percent of the area of the wall at the first storey on which the signs are erected”
Wall signs may cover up to 20% of first-storey wall area.
“wall sign - a sign erected on and entirely supported by the wall of a building with a sign face which projects no more than 0.60 metre from the wall”
It can stick out no more than 0.6 m (2 ft) from the wall.
“The total sign face area of all wall signs erected at the second storey shall not exceed 10 percent of the area of the wall at the second storey on which the signs are erected”
At the second storey the allowance is 10% of the wall.
“There shall be no more than one sign erected on each wall of a building to a maximum of two signs”
“The sign shall only be erected on an office building containing 10 or more storeys”
Building: an office building of 10+ storeys
“The sign face area shall not exceed 20 percent of the area of the wall at the uppermost storey, mechanical penthouse or parapet wall on which the sign is erected”
The upper-storey sign may cover up to 20% of the wall.
“where a frontage exceeds 200 metres, two signs may be erected provided they are separated by a distance of 100 metres”
A second sign is only possible where the frontage is more than 200 m (656 ft), with the two at least 100 m (328 ft) apart.
Where two signs are allowed, they must stand at least 100 m (328 ft) apart.
“The sign face area shall not exceed 0.3 square metre for each 1.0 metre or part thereof of frontage at which the sign is erected to a maximum of 20.0 square metres”
The ground sign allowance tops out at 20 m² (215 sq ft), however big the building or lot.
You get 0.3 m² (3.2 sq ft) of ground sign for every metre (3 ft 3 in) of frontage. For example, a lot with 30 m (98 ft) of street frontage works out to 9 m² (97 sq ft).
“There shall be no more than one ground sign or one electronic ground sign per frontage”
One ground sign per frontage.
“3.5 metres when erected at a frontage less than or equal to 20 metres”
Maximum height by frontage: up to 20 m (66 ft) → 3.5 m (11 ft); 20 m (66 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) → 5 m (16 ft); 30 m (98 ft) to 40 m (131 ft) → 6 m (20 ft); 40 m (131 ft) to 60 m (197 ft) → 8 m (26 ft); over 60 m (197 ft) → 10 m (33 ft).
graduated by frontage — 3.5 m (11 ft) up to 20 m (66 ft), 5.0 m (16 ft) to 30 m (98 ft), 6.0 m (20 ft) to 40 m (131 ft), 8.0 m (26 ft) to 60 m (197 ft), 10.0 m (33 ft) beyond
“5.0 metres when erected at a frontage more than 20 metres but less than or equal to 30 metres”
Maximum height by frontage: up to 20 m (66 ft) → 3.5 m (11 ft); 20 m (66 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) → 5 m (16 ft); 30 m (98 ft) to 40 m (131 ft) → 6 m (20 ft); 40 m (131 ft) to 60 m (197 ft) → 8 m (26 ft); over 60 m (197 ft) → 10 m (33 ft).
graduated by frontage — 3.5 m (11 ft) up to 20 m (66 ft), 5.0 m (16 ft) to 30 m (98 ft), 6.0 m (20 ft) to 40 m (131 ft), 8.0 m (26 ft) to 60 m (197 ft), 10.0 m (33 ft) beyond
“6.0 metres when erected at a frontage more than 30 metres but less than or equal to 40 metres”
Maximum height by frontage: up to 20 m (66 ft) → 3.5 m (11 ft); 20 m (66 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) → 5 m (16 ft); 30 m (98 ft) to 40 m (131 ft) → 6 m (20 ft); 40 m (131 ft) to 60 m (197 ft) → 8 m (26 ft); over 60 m (197 ft) → 10 m (33 ft).
graduated by frontage — 3.5 m (11 ft) up to 20 m (66 ft), 5.0 m (16 ft) to 30 m (98 ft), 6.0 m (20 ft) to 40 m (131 ft), 8.0 m (26 ft) to 60 m (197 ft), 10.0 m (33 ft) beyond
“8.0 metres when erected at a frontage more than 40 metres but less than or equal to 60 metres”
Maximum height by frontage: up to 20 m (66 ft) → 3.5 m (11 ft); 20 m (66 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) → 5 m (16 ft); 30 m (98 ft) to 40 m (131 ft) → 6 m (20 ft); 40 m (131 ft) to 60 m (197 ft) → 8 m (26 ft); over 60 m (197 ft) → 10 m (33 ft).
graduated by frontage — 3.5 m (11 ft) up to 20 m (66 ft), 5.0 m (16 ft) to 30 m (98 ft), 6.0 m (20 ft) to 40 m (131 ft), 8.0 m (26 ft) to 60 m (197 ft), 10.0 m (33 ft) beyond
“10.0 metres when erected at a frontage more than 60 metres”
Maximum height by frontage: up to 20 m (66 ft) → 3.5 m (11 ft); 20 m (66 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) → 5 m (16 ft); 30 m (98 ft) to 40 m (131 ft) → 6 m (20 ft); 40 m (131 ft) to 60 m (197 ft) → 8 m (26 ft); over 60 m (197 ft) → 10 m (33 ft).
graduated by frontage — 3.5 m (11 ft) up to 20 m (66 ft), 5.0 m (16 ft) to 30 m (98 ft), 6.0 m (20 ft) to 40 m (131 ft), 8.0 m (26 ft) to 60 m (197 ft), 10.0 m (33 ft) beyond
“The sign shall not be erected within 6.0 metres of the intersection of two street lines”
Keep it at least 6 m (20 ft) from an intersection.
“The sign shall not be erected within 2.0 metres of any property line”
Keep it at least 2 m (6 ft 7 in) back from the property line.
“The sign face area shall not exceed 0.5 square metre”
A directional sign can be no larger than 0.5 m² (5.4 sq ft).
“There shall be no more than two such signs erected at each point of vehicular ingress and egress to the premises”
2 directional signs per vehicular entrance.
“The height shall not exceed 1.5 metres”
The directional sign can be no taller than 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in).
“The sign face area shall not exceed 1.0 square metre”
A projecting sign can be no larger than 1 m² (11 sq ft).
“The sign shall not project more than 1.0 m from the wall on which the sign is erected”
It can stick out no more than 1 m (3 ft 3 in) from the wall.
“The sign shall not be erected closer than 6.0 metres, measured horizontally from any point on the sign, from another projecting sign on the same premises”
Two of these signs must be at least 6 m (20 ft) apart.
“The sign shall not be erected above the second storey”
not above the second storey, with at least 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) clear from the ground or sidewalk to its lowest point
“There shall be a minimum vertical clearance of 2.5 metres from the ground, sidewalk or walkway to the lowest point of an overhanging structure sign, electronic overhanging structure sign, projecting sign”
not above the second storey, with at least 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) clear from the ground or sidewalk to its lowest point
“Where erected at the first storey, the height shall not exceed 1.5 times the vertical distance between grade and the top boundary of the first storey of the building wall upon which the sign is located, and the sign shall not extend above the sill of the lowest window at the second storey of the wall on which the sign is erected”
at the first storey, no taller than 1.5 times the height of that storey (grade to the top of the first storey), and never above the sill of the lowest second-storey window
“The total sign face area of all wall signs erected at the first storey shall not exceed 20 percent of the area of the wall at the first storey on which the signs are erected less the sign face area of any electronic wall signs erected on the wall at that storey”
Wall signs may cover up to 20% of first-storey wall area, less any electronic wall sign on that wall.
“wall sign - a sign erected on and entirely supported by the wall of a building with a sign face which projects no more than 0.60 metre from the wall”
It can stick out no more than 0.6 m (2 ft) from the wall.
“The total sign face area of all wall signs erected at the second storey shall not exceed 10 percent of the area of the wall at the second storey on which the signs are erected less the sign face area of any electronic wall signs erected on the wall at that storey”
At the second storey the allowance is 10% of the wall.
“There shall be no more than one sign erected on each wall of a building to a maximum of two signs”
“The sign shall only be erected on an office building containing 10 or more storeys”
Building: an office building of 10+ storeys
“The sign face area shall not exceed 20 percent of the area of the wall at the uppermost storey, mechanical penthouse or parapet wall on which the sign is erected”
The upper-storey sign may cover up to 20% of the wall.
“where a frontage exceeds 200 metres, two signs may be erected provided they are separated by a distance of 100 metres”
A second sign is only possible where the frontage is more than 200 m (656 ft), with the two at least 100 m (328 ft) apart.
Where two signs are allowed, they must stand at least 100 m (328 ft) apart.
“The sign face area shall not exceed 0.3 square metre for each 1.0 metre or part thereof of frontage at which the sign is erected to a maximum of 20.0 square metres”
The ground sign allowance tops out at 20 m² (215 sq ft), however big the building or lot.
You get 0.3 m² (3.2 sq ft) of ground sign for every metre (3 ft 3 in) of frontage. For example, a lot with 30 m (98 ft) of street frontage works out to 9 m² (97 sq ft).
“There shall be no more than one such sign erected at each frontage”
One ground sign per frontage.
“3.5 metres when erected at a frontage less than or equal to 20 metres”
Maximum height by frontage: up to 20 m (66 ft) → 3.5 m (11 ft); 20 m (66 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) → 5 m (16 ft); 30 m (98 ft) to 40 m (131 ft) → 6 m (20 ft); 40 m (131 ft) to 60 m (197 ft) → 8 m (26 ft); over 60 m (197 ft) → 10 m (33 ft).
graduated by frontage — 3.5 m (11 ft) up to 20 m (66 ft), 5.0 m (16 ft) to 30 m (98 ft), 6.0 m (20 ft) to 40 m (131 ft), 8.0 m (26 ft) to 60 m (197 ft), 10.0 m (33 ft) beyond
“5.0 metres when erected at a frontage more than 20 metres but less than or equal to 30 metres”
Maximum height by frontage: up to 20 m (66 ft) → 3.5 m (11 ft); 20 m (66 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) → 5 m (16 ft); 30 m (98 ft) to 40 m (131 ft) → 6 m (20 ft); 40 m (131 ft) to 60 m (197 ft) → 8 m (26 ft); over 60 m (197 ft) → 10 m (33 ft).
graduated by frontage — 3.5 m (11 ft) up to 20 m (66 ft), 5.0 m (16 ft) to 30 m (98 ft), 6.0 m (20 ft) to 40 m (131 ft), 8.0 m (26 ft) to 60 m (197 ft), 10.0 m (33 ft) beyond
“6.0 metres when erected at a frontage more than 30 metres but less than or equal to 40 metres”
Maximum height by frontage: up to 20 m (66 ft) → 3.5 m (11 ft); 20 m (66 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) → 5 m (16 ft); 30 m (98 ft) to 40 m (131 ft) → 6 m (20 ft); 40 m (131 ft) to 60 m (197 ft) → 8 m (26 ft); over 60 m (197 ft) → 10 m (33 ft).
graduated by frontage — 3.5 m (11 ft) up to 20 m (66 ft), 5.0 m (16 ft) to 30 m (98 ft), 6.0 m (20 ft) to 40 m (131 ft), 8.0 m (26 ft) to 60 m (197 ft), 10.0 m (33 ft) beyond
“8.0 metres when erected at a frontage more than 40 metres but less than or equal to 60 metres”
Maximum height by frontage: up to 20 m (66 ft) → 3.5 m (11 ft); 20 m (66 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) → 5 m (16 ft); 30 m (98 ft) to 40 m (131 ft) → 6 m (20 ft); 40 m (131 ft) to 60 m (197 ft) → 8 m (26 ft); over 60 m (197 ft) → 10 m (33 ft).
graduated by frontage — 3.5 m (11 ft) up to 20 m (66 ft), 5.0 m (16 ft) to 30 m (98 ft), 6.0 m (20 ft) to 40 m (131 ft), 8.0 m (26 ft) to 60 m (197 ft), 10.0 m (33 ft) beyond
“10.0 metres when erected at a frontage more than 60 metres”
Maximum height by frontage: up to 20 m (66 ft) → 3.5 m (11 ft); 20 m (66 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) → 5 m (16 ft); 30 m (98 ft) to 40 m (131 ft) → 6 m (20 ft); 40 m (131 ft) to 60 m (197 ft) → 8 m (26 ft); over 60 m (197 ft) → 10 m (33 ft).
graduated by frontage — 3.5 m (11 ft) up to 20 m (66 ft), 5.0 m (16 ft) to 30 m (98 ft), 6.0 m (20 ft) to 40 m (131 ft), 8.0 m (26 ft) to 60 m (197 ft), 10.0 m (33 ft) beyond
“The sign shall not be erected within 6.0 metres of the intersection of two street lines”
Keep it at least 6 m (20 ft) from an intersection.
“The sign shall not be erected within 2.0 metres of any property line”
Keep it at least 2 m (6 ft 7 in) back from the property line.
“The sign face area shall not exceed 0.5 square metre”
A directional sign can be no larger than 0.5 m² (5.4 sq ft).
“There shall be no more than two such signs erected at each point of vehicular ingress and egress to the premises”
2 directional signs per vehicular entrance.
“The height shall not exceed 1.5 metres”
The directional sign can be no taller than 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in).
“The sign face area shall not exceed 1.0 square metre”
A projecting sign can be no larger than 1 m² (11 sq ft).
“The sign shall not project more than 1.0 m from the wall on which the sign is erected”
It can stick out no more than 1 m (3 ft 3 in) from the wall.
“The sign shall not be erected closer than 6.0 metres, measured horizontally from any point on the sign, from another projecting sign on the same premises”
Two of these signs must be at least 6 m (20 ft) apart.
“The sign shall not be erected above the second storey”
not above the second storey, with at least 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) clear from the ground or sidewalk to its lowest point
“There shall be a minimum vertical clearance of 2.5 metres from the ground, sidewalk or walkway to the lowest point of an overhanging structure sign, electronic overhanging structure sign, projecting sign”
not above the second storey, with at least 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) clear from the ground or sidewalk to its lowest point
“Between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., except where”
Dark 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., subject to the exceptions in §694-18C. 9 p.m. in an R or RA district, or within 30 m (98 ft) of an R premises.
“Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. where the sign is located in an R sign district”
Dark 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., subject to the exceptions in §694-18C. 9 p.m. in an R or RA district, or within 30 m (98 ft) of an R premises.
“Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. where the sign is located in an RA sign district”
Dark 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., subject to the exceptions in §694-18C. 9 p.m. in an R or RA district, or within 30 m (98 ft) of an R premises.
“Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. where the sign is located within 30 metres of a premises in an R sign district”
Dark 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., subject to the exceptions in §694-18C. 9 p.m. in an R or RA district, or within 30 m (98 ft) of an R premises.
“Electronic Fuel Pump Sign, Electronic Ground Sign, Electronic Overhanging Structure Sign, Electronic Projecting Sign, Electronic Roof Sign, Electronic Topiary Sign, Electronic Window Sign or Electronic Wall Sign.”
Electronic wall and ground signs, by district
“The message duration shall not be less than 1.0 minute for a first party sign”
1 minute minimum; an electronic wall or ground sign may not hold a message for more than 3 minutes
“The message duration of any electronic static copy displayed shall not exceed 3.0 minutes”
1 minute minimum; an electronic wall or ground sign may not hold a message for more than 3 minutes
“The sign shall not be erected at a frontage of less than 100 metres”
In a C district: not at a frontage of less than 100 m (328 ft), and only on a commercial plaza of 10 or more units. In an E district: not on a premises with a residential use.
“A Commercial Plaza containing 10 or more units”
In a C district: not at a frontage of less than 100 m (328 ft), and only on a commercial plaza of 10 or more units. In an E district: not on a premises with a residential use.
“The sign may only be erected on a premises which contains no building containing an occupancy which is a residential use”
In a C district: not at a frontage of less than 100 m (328 ft), and only on a commercial plaza of 10 or more units. In an E district: not on a premises with a residential use.
“The sign shall not be erected within 60.0 metres of any R, RA, CR, I or OS sign district”
60 m (197 ft) from any R, RA, CR, I or OS district (quoted for the C district)
“shall be no greater than 25 percent of the average illumination of the immediately preceding electronic static copy”
Illumination may not change more than 25% between successive messages
“The message transition shall not exceed 1.0 second”
1 second, with no motion, dissolve, blink or flash during it
“During the message transition the sign shall not include any other visible effects, including but not limited to motion, dissolving, blinking, intermittent or flashing light”
1 second, with no motion, dissolve, blink or flash during it
“E. Unless otherwise expressly prohibited by this chapter, all signs may be illuminated provided the following requirements are met: (1) The sign shall not be up-lit; (2) The light shall not project onto any adjacent premises located in an R, RA, CR, I, or OS sign district;”
§694-18E opens with “all signs may be illuminated provided the following requirements are met”.
“The illumination shall not increase the light levels within 10.0 metres of all points of the sign face by more than 3.0 lux above the ambient lighting level”
It may add no more than 3 lux of light (roughly, the glow it throws on its surroundings) above normal levels, measured 10 m (33 ft) away.
Light spill is measured 10 m (33 ft) from the sign.
“The illumination shall not exceed 5,000 nits during the period between sunrise and sunset”
A digital or lit sign can be no brighter than 5,000 nits in daylight (a nit is the standard measure of screen brightness).
“The illumination shall not exceed 300 nits during the period between sunset and sunrise”
At night it must dim to no more than 300 nits.
“No first party sign shall be illuminated at any time when a smog alert is in effect”
No first-party sign may be lit while a smog alert is in effect, and all first-party signs must go dark within four hours of the alert being issued (§694-18A–B).
“All first party signs shall cease to be illuminated within four hours of the issuance of the smog alert”
No first-party sign may be lit while a smog alert is in effect, and all first-party signs must go dark within four hours of the alert being issued (§694-18A–B).
“(2) The light shall not project onto any adjacent premises located in an R, RA, CR, I, or OS sign district;”
Light may not project onto adjacent premises in an R, RA, CR, I or OS district — institutional and open space count, so a school or park next door triggers it.
“(1) The sign shall not be up-lit;”
Lighting from below, shining up at the sign, is allowed.
“Appeal to Sign Variance Committee with respect to a First Party Sign variance application $883.00”
20 days to the Sign Variance Committee, $883
“the 20-day appeal period will begin”
20 days to the Sign Variance Committee, $883
“Wall Signs $37.71 per square metre (minimum of $263.87)”
The smallest permit fee is $263.87.
The current first-party permit page lists $37.71/m² with a $263.87 sign-fee minimum for wall, ground, projecting and overhanging structure signs, plus a listed $70.67 building-permit component where applicable. Those minimum components do not equal the general sign page’s stated $334.53 total; that page also retains a $253.72 sign minimum. The enacted fee schedule labels the $37.71 rate per sign, while the application pages say per square metre. Confirm the charging unit, minimum, billable faces, building component and total for the exact work. No confirmed total or fee range is calculated.
The permit costs $37.71 per m² of sign (about $3.50 per sq ft).
“The minimum fee for a Sign Permit is $334.53, which includes a $70.67 fee for the Building Permit”
The smallest permit fee is $334.53.
“Building Permit (DS) $70.67”
The current first-party permit page lists $37.71/m² with a $263.87 sign-fee minimum for wall, ground, projecting and overhanging structure signs, plus a listed $70.67 building-permit component where applicable. Those minimum components do not equal the general sign page’s stated $334.53 total; that page also retains a $253.72 sign minimum. The enacted fee schedule labels the $37.71 rate per sign, while the application pages say per square metre. Confirm the charging unit, minimum, billable faces, building component and total for the exact work. No confirmed total or fee range is calculated.
“Wall Signs $37.71 per square metre (minimum of $253.72)”
The current first-party permit page lists $37.71/m² with a $263.87 sign-fee minimum for wall, ground, projecting and overhanging structure signs, plus a listed $70.67 building-permit component where applicable. Those minimum components do not equal the general sign page’s stated $334.53 total; that page also retains a $253.72 sign minimum. The enacted fee schedule labels the $37.71 rate per sign, while the application pages say per square metre. Confirm the charging unit, minimum, billable faces, building component and total for the exact work. No confirmed total or fee range is calculated.
“The minimum fee for a Sign Permit is $334.53, which includes a $70.67 fee for the Building Permit”
The current first-party permit page lists $37.71/m² with a $263.87 sign-fee minimum for wall, ground, projecting and overhanging structure signs, plus a listed $70.67 building-permit component where applicable. Those minimum components do not equal the general sign page’s stated $334.53 total; that page also retains a $253.72 sign minimum. The enacted fee schedule labels the $37.71 rate per sign, while the application pages say per square metre. Confirm the charging unit, minimum, billable faces, building component and total for the exact work. No confirmed total or fee range is calculated.
“The timeframe to receive the outcome of the review of sign permit applications for the installation of 3 or fewer signs, is 3 days”
Published review-outcome targets: 3 days for three signs or fewer after all required documents; 10 business days for four or more after required documents and fees. Heritage properties have separate conditions; resubmissions have no standard timeline. Confirm the applicable service stream and current target; these are not permit-issuance promises
“reviews sign permit applications for permits to install 4 signs or more”
Published review-outcome targets: 3 days for three signs or fewer after all required documents; 10 business days for four or more after required documents and fees. Heritage properties have separate conditions; resubmissions have no standard timeline. Confirm the applicable service stream and current target; these are not permit-issuance promises
“The standard timeline for a Sign Permit application is 10 business days”
Published review-outcome targets: 3 days for three signs or fewer after all required documents; 10 business days for four or more after required documents and fees. Heritage properties have separate conditions; resubmissions have no standard timeline. Confirm the applicable service stream and current target; these are not permit-issuance promises
“Application for a variance to Chapter 694 with respect to a First-Party Sign $971.16 per application”
Asking for a variance (permission to go beyond the by-law) costs $971.16.
“Application for a variance to Chapter 694 with respect to a Third-Party Sign $2,039.44 per application”
first-party; a third-party sign is $2,039.44
“The Sign Variance process usually takes around three months, from start to finish”
about three months, including the 30-day posting and the appeal period
“You will receive a Notice to post on site for no less than 30 days”
about three months, including the 30-day posting and the appeal period
Before encoding a single rule, we fetched every by-law from the municipality’s own site, compared the copies that are live, and read the illumination and digital sections in full. This is what turned up. It is not a complaint about any city — consolidating by-laws is unglamorous work — but it is the reason we show our sources on every figure.
In 15 of the 29 municipalities, something out of date or incomplete is still live on the municipality’s own site — an older copy of the sign by-law, a superseded fee, or a copy missing part of its text. A consultant, a sign company or a search engine that lands on it reads the wrong rules with no warning. Each case is below.
A copy on an older City server is still live, is the first search result, and says “Consolidated” in its filename — but it stops at By-law 33-20. Its page numbering does not match the current consolidation. The link above is the one the City’s own publication page uses.
The current document: Sign By-law 0054-2002 ↗ — amended to By-law 0003-2025
Vaughan hosts two consolidations of the same by-law under date-stamped folders, and the folder name does not match the consolidation date. The older one is still live and out of date. The link above is the latest consolidation.
The current document: Sign By-law 140-2018 ↗ — consolidated 2 December 2025
Markham’s own by-law index links an older consolidation of this by-law, years out of date. Navigating the City’s site the obvious way lands you on the wrong file. The link above is the April 2024 one.
The current document: Sign By-law 2002-94 ↗ — consolidated to April 2024
The bare original enactment is also live at a near-identical path and is not consolidated. The link above is the July 2026 consolidation.
The current document: Consolidated Signs By-law 034-2007 ↗ — consolidated 8 July 2026
Sudbury does not publish a consolidation. By-law 2021-111 is the base text; the City’s index lists it as amended by 2021-166, 2024-116 and 2026-37, each published separately. 2021-166 replaces s.53(3) and s.53(4). 2024-116 changes the commercial wall-sign height in Table 3 and adds distance rules for electronic billboards and message boards; we have applied and quoted both. Read the amendments with the base text, or the figures you rely on may already have been replaced.
The current document: By-law 2021-111 — signs and advertising devices ↗ — base enactment — not consolidated
A sign variance costs $6,299.00 (Schedule M, effective January 1, 2026, item PAP-55) and must be authorized by Council (s.5.4). Older copies of Schedule M still appear in search results; quote only from the schedule marked effective January 1, 2026.
The current document: Permanent Sign By-law 7379-18 ↗ — consolidated (date not printed on the copy we hold)
The current sign permit fee is $274 per sign (Building By-law 48-2023, Schedule A, January 1, 2026). Older copies of the Town’s Building By-law may still turn up in search with a lower figure; quote only from the current schedule.
The current document: Sign By-law 27-2009 ↗ — office consolidated January 2014, amending By-law 6-2014
Two misleading copies are still live. The REPEALED predecessor, By-law 6999/09, is still served from the City’s own Laserfiche repository and is search-indexed with no repeal stamp on its face. Worse, an undated DRAFT from the sign by-law review sits at the old /en/city-hall/resources/SBLR/ path and reads almost identically to the enacted by-law. A sign company that lands on the draft has no way to tell from the document that it is not law.
The current document: Sign By-law 8154/25 ↗ — passed 27 January 2025 — original enactment, not a consolidation
Schedule A inside the current consolidation still prints the old fees — $150 per application plus $10 per square metre — with no note deferring to the fee by-law. The governing 2026 figures are $183 plus $12.14 per square metre. Anyone quoting off the by-law PDF is quoting out-of-date money.
The current document: Sign By-law 5840-16 ↗ — current to 26 May 2026 (By-law 6785-26)
Several sign permit prices sit on the Town’s own domain at once. The 2026 column of Fees By-law 2025-0104 gives $414.21 for a self-standing sign and $270.37 for a fascia sign; the same table’s 2025 column gives $402.14 and $262.50; and Schedule A inside the sign by-law still prints older figures, $332.00 and $220.00. Quote the 2026 column.
The current document: Sign By-law 2003-0065 ↗ — consolidated — no date printed; amendments run through By-law 2026-0032
Building-permit fees are $456 for a freestanding sign and $341 for a sign on a building (By-law 2026-0057, Schedule A), effective July 1, 2026; both rows are marked not subject to HST. These are Building Division charges. The sign-bylaw permit and sign-variance fees remain unconfirmed. Ask the Town whether separate charges apply and obtain the full fee for your project.
The current document: Sign By-law 2006-0062 (PUT-1) ↗ — no consolidation — the 2006 original, passed 23 May 2006
Two misleading copies are live on the Town’s own domain. The repealed earlier sign by-law still sits in the /Commonby-laws/ folder with nothing on its face saying it is dead. And an undated DRAFT from the rewrite consultation is still published under /en/government/By-law/ — it is longer than the enacted version, reads like a by-law, and carries no watermark.
The current document: Sign By-law 2025-052 ↗ — passed 7 October 2025; amended by By-law 2026-077, 23 July 2026
The by-law and the Township’s permit fees page disagree. The by-law prints a $200.00 administration fee for a variance and a $75.00 basic minimum permit fee (s.2.2(e)); the fees page gives $313 for a variance and $93 (temporary) or $200 (permanent) for a permit, with no year printed.
The current document: Sign By-law 2002-59, consolidated version ↗ — no consolidation date printed; the latest amendment visible is By-law 2010-052
Brock publishes sign-titled documents, and none of them is a sign by-law. The Election Sign By-law regulates election signs only. The Sign Policy on the zoning page governs the notice board an applicant must post for a rezoning or an Official Plan amendment. Neither sets any rule for a business sign, and both are easy to mistake for the sign by-law.
The current document: No sign by-law published ↗
The Town’s “Frequently referenced by-laws” page lists one by-law under Signs, By-law 2016-165-RE, and it is easy to take that for the sign by-law. It is not: it governs portable, mobile, banner, feather banner, inflatable and temporary signs only, in force since January 1, 2017, and leaves By-law 2016-012-RE in force for every permanent sign. The same document portal still serves the repealed By-law 2004-212-RE with nothing on its face saying it was repealed effective February 2, 2016.
The current document: Sign By-law 2016-012-RE ↗ — passed 2 February 2016; no consolidation banner, and no amending by-law found
Some of the requirements that decide a permit are not in the by-law text at all. They sit on a permit webpage, in an application package, or in a schedule that contradicts the section it belongs to.
Chapter 694 has no section called “fascia signs” — it regulates by sign class and sign district, and the §694-21 tables are unusable until you have found the property in Schedule A. Page numbers print as 694-N, not 1-N, so a page jump would land wrong; use the section numbers.
The by-law prints its own fees in s.7 ($1,500 variance, $500 appeal) and the City’s current fee schedule carries no sign entries at all, while the City’s current application package says $30/m² with a $225 minimum. Three live City sources, three answers. Call the Building Division before you quote a Brampton fee.
Every permission in this by-law is keyed to a zoning category through Schedule A, so you need the zoning designation before the tables mean anything. The Town's by-law library links this consolidation under Sign By-law (Consolidation). The Town’s sign page quotes $33.11/m² with a $166 minimum, while the 2026 fee by-law says $38.46/m² with a $193 minimum. Confirm the current fee with the Town.
The fee table is published on the permit page rather than in a schedule, and the engineering requirement for ground signs over 7 ft appears on that page rather than in the by-law text.
Milton’s sign permit fee is published on the Town’s building permits page, not in the sign by-law: 1.60% of prescribed value, with a minimum. The page does not define prescribed value — ask before quoting.
Oakville does not say “variance”. The departure route is Part 15, “Exceptions to the By-law”, and the fee schedule lists exception applications and appeals. The P.Eng size and weight thresholds people cite for Oakville are on the City’s permit page; in the by-law text the requirement is discretionary.
The Town publishes no PDF of this by-law — the full text is the web page, and a paper copy has to be requested from the Clerks Division. Whether the zoning by-law carries further sign provisions is unchecked — the file we tried has moved.
Two London sign by-laws are live at once — this one and the older Sign and Canopy By-law linked below — and we could not confirm that this one repeals the older one; the City’s fee schedule may still refer to the older one (not confirmed). The variance procedure would not render on three attempts, so we do not hold it.
Oshawa’s sign variance fees are published only on the application form (January 2026 edition), which notes that Planning Services fees rise 3% every January 1 — check the form’s date before you quote a fee. The City also publishes two “Basic Building Permit Requirements for Ground/Pylon Signs” handouts that we could not retrieve; those are the likeliest place a stamped-drawing threshold is actually printed, so the absence of an engineering figure here means we did not find one, not that none exists.
Clarington’s fees come from User Fee By-law 2026-057 (office consolidation as of September 15, 2026), so check the consolidation date before you quote; fee schedules are commonly indexed each January. One good thing: we found no second copy of the sign by-law anywhere, so there is only one text to trust.
Newmarket has no dedicated sign permit page — the form sits under building and renovating. Its sign fees are in the Legislative Services fee schedule rather than the building permit schedule, while the application itself goes to Planning and Building Services, which is an easy place to look in the wrong document.
The Township’s own Signs page links the by-law twice — once to the king.ca PDF and once to a copy on its CivicWeb portal that we could not open. We cannot confirm the two match. Separately, York Region’s own sign by-law applies on regional roads, and s.60(e) imports Township design guidelines and site plan agreements by reference, so the by-law above is the Township layer only.
The Township’s sign permit page still links last year’s Fees and Charges by-law, and that link now returns a “page not found”. The 2026 schedule is the one that governs. Separately, the sign by-law directs you to a per-square-metre billboard permit rate that the fee schedule does not publish.
This is the City’s office consolidation, which carries amendments up to By-law 22-031; the City’s own by-law search lists no later amendment. The consolidation says it is not the official version: certified copies come from the City Clerk.
A sign that is legal to light in one city is a by-law offence forty minutes down the highway. None of this is obvious from a permit page.
| Question | What we found |
|---|---|
| Is there a brightness limit? | Toronto, Milton, Bradford West Gwillimbury, London, East Gwillimbury cap every illuminated sign — a plain lit box is in scope. Caledon, Markham, Richmond Hill, Burlington, Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Clarington, Newmarket, Aurora, Halton Hills, Georgina, King, Scugog, Uxbridge, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Hamilton publish no number at all. Mississauga’s numbers exist but bind only third-party billboards. Oakville’s night cap is 100 nits, a fifth of Bradford’s 500. |
| Does the sign have to go dark? | Toronto, Brampton, Burlington have a curfew. London’s is city-wide — 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. unless the business is actually open. Milton has none and uses a 200-nit night cap instead. |
| Can you up-light a monument sign? | Prohibited in Toronto, Milton, Greater Sudbury; allowed only if shielded in London. Not addressed anywhere else — which is not the same as permitted. |
| How long must a digital message hold? | From 3 seconds in Richmond Hill to 1 minute in Toronto — a 20× spread. Richmond Hill 3 seconds · Bradford West Gwillimbury 5 seconds · Georgina 5 seconds · Pickering 6 seconds · Newmarket 6 seconds · Whitby 8 seconds · Brampton 10 seconds · Vaughan 10 seconds · East Gwillimbury 10 seconds · Milton 30 seconds · Oakville 30 seconds · Greater Sudbury 30 seconds · Clarington 30 seconds · Toronto 1 minute. 14 more state no minimum at all. A controller profile that passes in one city fails in the next. |
| Can a digital transition fade? | Vaughan expressly permits it. Toronto, Milton, Oakville and Sudbury prohibit it. Caledon’s by-law says both, in adjacent subsections. |
Every figure in SignAllow carries the date it was verified, the kind of source it came from, and how many separate checks agreed. Anything over a year old, or a fee that has passed the most recent January fee increase, is marked out of date and left out rather than shown. Where we have read a section but not built the calculation for it, we say so and take you to the page. Where a city keeps an out-of-date copy online, we tell you which one is current.
That is the whole method. It is slower than summarising a PDF, and it is the only version of this we would put our name on.
The size and count rules are in, so you get a number rather than a reading list.
We hold the reference and the contacts. We would rather say that than guess.
