Service Description

A Sign By-law Amendment approval is required before a Sign Permit can be issued for a sign which is prohibited by the Sign By-law, would implement a prohibition with respect to the erection or display of signs generally or with respect to specific premises or areas, or the proposal would alter the Sign District designation of a premises.

Service Outcome

Site-Specific or General amendment to the Sign By-law (Approval or Refusal)

Applications to amend the Sign By-law are only considered once annually by the Planning & Growth Management Committee (PGM), in the Spring. The deadline to submit a complete application, including any associated fees, was December 31, 2017, to have your application considered in 2018.

All drawings to be drawn on standardized sized sheets, drawn to scale, fully dimensioned, signed and dated.

All drawings, reports, and forms, including the completed forms, must be provided in a PDF format.

A complete application must include:

  • A completed Sign By-Law Amendment application form;
  • Site plan (first party sign) or Survey (third party sign);
  • Elevation drawings;
  • A rationale supporting the proposed sign(s), which may include details of sign removals as part of the proposal, display of non-commercial messaging, reduced hours of operation, etc.;
  • Multiple colour renderings from various angles of the proposed sign in context with the premise and surrounding area;
  • A draft amending by-law, including schedules, as necessary;
  • Additional approvals by other parties / divisions (Heritage Preservation Services, Ministry of Transportation, Toronto Regional Conservation Authority, City of Toronto Transportation Services, etc.);
  • Additional information the Applicant considers necessary to support the proposal

Sign By-law Amendments that include Third Party signs:

Third Party Sign By-Law Amendment applications also require a detailed site plan prepared, dated and signed by a practising Ontario Land Surveyor (OLS), with the following requirements:

  1. The property lines and other boundaries of the lot upon which it is proposed to erect, display, modify or restore the Third Party Sign;
  2. The location of the proposed Third Party Sign in relation to buildings and other structures on the lot;
  3. The location of the proposed Third Party Sign in relation to buildings and other structures on abutting and adjacent lots;
  4. The location of the proposed Third Party Sign to other Third Party Signs within the minimum distancing requirements;
  5. The location of the proposed Third Party Sign in relation to other lots located within the minimum distancing requirements;
  6. The location of the proposed Third Party Sign to R-Residential, to RA-Residential Apartment, and to OS-Open Space sign districts;
  7. The location of the proposed Third Party Sign to the nearest intersection of two street lines, where the Third Party Sign is within 15 metres of such an intersection;
  8. The location of the proposed Third Party Sign to the intersection of a major street with any other street where the Third Party Sign is within 35 metres of such an intersection; and
  9. The location of the proposed Third Party Sign to the nearest site specific area restriction, if applicable and as required by §694-24A.

All distances, and relative locations listed above shall describe the distances from the outermost limits of the proposed Third Party Sign, as provided for in §694-14A.

The Applicant will also file a statement confirming accuracy of the site plan signed by the Applicant and signed and stamped by the OLS who prepared the site plan.

To apply for a Sign By-law Amendment, you will need:

Only electronic applications are accepted, and can be sent via email to signbylawunit@toronto.ca. Please make sure you send all required forms, documents and drawings in PDF format.

For applications submitted via email, we accept credit card payments over the phone. Please call our main line at 416-392-8000.

Sign By-law Amendment Application

$2,969.95 per application