Signs Not Requiring a Permit

Contracted Services Signs

Contracted services signs advertise a contractor who repairs, renovates, or landscapes a property.

Sign Requirements

• Be displayed with the consent of the owner or occupant of the property;
• No more than three contracted services signs on a property;
• No more than one contracted services sign per contractor on the property;
• Be displayed only while the contracted service is occurring or after it has occurred.
• Only display content relating to the contracted service that is occurring or has occurred on the premises;
• Be removed no later than 30 days after the contracted service has occurred;
• Be attached to the ground by means of a stake or to a fence, not including a fence that is vegetation;
• Not contain more than two sign faces;
• Have a maximum sign face area of 0.37 square metres;
• Have a maximum height of 0.61 square metres and maximum width of 0.61 square metres; and
• Be located no more than 2 metres above grade.

Home Builder Identification Signs

Home builder identification signs identify a home builder or renovator involved in the renovation or construction of a residential building or related structure.

Sign Requirements

• Be displayed with the consent of the owner or occupant of the property;
• No more than one home builder identification sign on a property;
• Be displayed only while the construction or renovation is occurring or after it has occurred;
• Be removed no later than 30 days after the construction or renovation has occurred;
• Be attached to the ground by means of a stake or to a fence, not including a fence that is vegetation;
• Not contain more than two sign faces;
• Have a maximum sign face area of 1.5 square metres; and
• Not be higher than 2 metres above grade.

Garage Sale Signs

Garage sale signs advertise the sale of merchandise in a private sale held on residential property.

Sign Requirements

• Not be displayed before 5 p.m. of the day immediately before the garage sale or after 7 a.m. of the day immediately following the garage sale;
• Include the address of the property where the garage sale will be located and the date of the garage sale;
• Be attached to the ground by means of a stake or to a fence, not including a fence that is vegetation;
• Not be more than 0.6 metres in any dimension; and
• Have a maximum sign face area of 0.36 square metres.

Real Estate Signs

Real estate signs advertise the sale, rent or lease of a property.

Sign Requirements

• No more than one real estate sign located facing each street line of the property where the related premises are located;
• Be removed within 30 days after the premises is no longer for sale, rent or lease;
• Only display content relating to the sale, rent or lease of the premises;
• Be attached to the ground by means of a stake, to a fence, not including a fence that is vegetation, or to a wall.
• Not contain more than two sign faces; and
• Have a maximum sign face area of: 1 square metre, if displayed on a residential property; or 4 square metres, if displayed on a property not zoned residential

Open House Directional Signs

Open house direction signs direct traffic to a residential property or sale or lease.

Sign Requirements

• Not be located closer than 0.6 metres from a sidewalk or where there is no sidewalk, closer than 0.6 metres from the travelled portion of the highway; and
• If located on private property, have the prior written consent of the property owner
• No more than six open house directional signs may be displayed per each residential property for sale or lease;
• Only display content directing traffic to a residential property for sale or lease;
• Include the address of the residential property for sale or lease and the date of the open house to which the open house directional sign relates;
• Only be displayed between sunrise and sunset, from two hours before the related open house opens until two hours after it closes;
• Not be attached by any means to the ground or any structure or be attached to the ground by means of a take;
• Not contain more than two sign faces;
• Not be more than a maximum height of 1.0 metres or less than a minimum height of 0.5 metres;
• Not be more than a maximum width of 0.6 metres;
• Have a maximum sign face area of 0.5 square metres.

Community, Charitable Organization, Religious Organization and School Signs

Signs displayed by a charity, religious institution, community organization or school need to follow the following sign requirements:

• Shall be located on the property which is primarily used for the operations or activities of the charity, religious institution, community organization or school or at the site where the festival, activity or event is taking place if there are no existing temporary signs at that site
• A sign displayed by a charity, religious institution, community organization or school shall comply with the following requirements:
  • If the sign is a mobile sign, display no more than one on the property which is primarily used for the operations or activities of the charity, religious institution, community organization or school;
  • Be displayed no more than one week prior to the festival, activity or event taking place;
  • Be removed within 48 hours of the festival, activity or event concluding;

Advocacy Signs

Advocacy signs advance a point of view and are not for a commercial purpose. 

Sign Requirements

• The sign may be displayed on private property or where the sign cannot otherwise be placed entirely on private property, it may encroach only as necessary onto public property in the abutting boulevard situated between the sidewalk and the property line, or where there is no sidewalk, between the travelled portion of the road and the property line
• An advocacy sign displayed on private property may be secured to a window or balcony.
• No more than three advocacy signs may be located on a private property and its abutting public property;
• Be displayed with the consent of the owner or occupant of the private property or the abutting private property;
• Be attached to the ground by means of a stake or to a fence other than a fence that is vegetation (except for an advocacy sign on private property secured to a window or balcony);
• Not contain more than two sign faces;
• Have a maximum sign face area of 1.2 square metres;
• Not be higher than 2 metres above grade (except for an advocacy sign on private property secured to a window or balcony)
• An advocacy sign (except for an advocacy sign on private property secured to a window or balcony) shall not be located: within 1.5 metres of the curb or the edge of the travelled portion of the highway, within 0.6 metres of either side of the sidewalk, within 15 metres of an intersection or pedestrian crossover of a collector road or arterial road or, within 3 metres of an intersection or pedestrian crossover of a local road

Using Mediation in Sign Complaints

The City has partnered with TNG Community Services, an organization that provides free voluntary community mediation services to Toronto residents, as an alternative means to resolving a dispute with the help of neutral mediators.

Mediation can help deliver better service, divert some cases from bylaw enforcement, and get to the root cause of long-standing community or neighbour-to-neighbour issues. The process is separate from bylaw enforcement and completely confidential.

Residents may seek resolution to their issue using mediation services directly to TNG Community Services.

TNG Community Services

For situations north of Eglinton Avenue
416-839-3425 or crt.northyork@tngcs.org 

For situations south of Eglinton Avenue
416-827-5929 or crt.intake@tngcs.org