Banner Permit

When & Who Can Apply

Anyone can apply to install banners on street poles.

Once you decide to display street banners on utility poles, you have to contact Toronto Hydro and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) directly for permission to use the poles at least 90 days prior to the date of the event. Once written approval is received from Toronto Hydro and TTC, the applicant must contact the City at least eight weeks prior to the date of the event for the permit to install the banners on the poles.

2023 Fees

Applications are subject to a non-refundable processing fee which must be paid when submitting the application and are valid for a maximum period of 60 days.

You can pay the permit fee by cash or cheque or money order payable to the Treasurer, City of Toronto. We also accept Debit, Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

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Banners: Install a banner sign over or across a street:

Description	Application Fee	Permit Fee	Hoisting Fee
Charitable with no sponsorship	$109.66 + HST	No Fee	$60.26 + HST per permit issued
Charitable with sponsorship	$109.66 + HST	$9.16 + HST per pole	$60.26 + HST per permit issued
Non-charitable	$109.66 + HST	$18.26 + HST per pole	$60.26 + HST per permit issued

 

BIA Only Banners: install a banner on the public right of way within the BIA designated area

Description	Application Fee	Permit Fee	Hoisting Fee
Within BIA boundary, no sponsorship shown on banner	$109.66 + HST	No Fee	No Fee
Within BIA boundary, sponsorship shown on banner	$109.66 + HST	$9.16 + HST per pole	No Fee
Banners outside BIA boundary	$109.66 + HST	$18.26 + HST per pole	No Fee

 

All fees are subject to an annual inflationary increase based on the City’s User Fee Policy and change without prior notice.

If the City grants permission for the banner installation, the applicant will be responsible for costs associated in carrying out the following items.

• Additional costs incurred by the City for the removal of the banners (if the applicant fails to remove them).
• Cost of Certificate of Insurance to the City of Toronto.

Required Information

The following information is required in order for the application to be considered:

• type of fabric of which the banner will be made
• show the names and identifying symbols of the sponsor(s)
• location of banners
• design of the banner and size
• hardware attachment specifications (wire cable, brackets or other supports and fastening devices)
• name, address and telephone number of the Installation company
• date(s) and time(s) for which the permit is required and date of removal

Related Information

A temporary sign that is suspended on, across or along a street, or a flag of non-rigid material that is suspended from a rigid arm fixed to a pole or utility pole, that:

• identifies or promotes charitable, community, philanthropic or other public events;
• identifies or promotes a BIA and any charitable, community, philanthropic or other public event that occurs within a BIA; and
• identifies or promotes public events, activities or locations that:
  • are unique to the City of Toronto;
  • are government owned or sponsored;
  • form a major destination and attraction for visitors to the City of Toronto; and
  • has a minimum annual attendance of at least 40,000 people

A banner made of non-rigid material that is suspended from a rigid arm fixed to a pole or utility pole is to be removed within 60 days of the installation date. Requests to extend the installation period after the 60 days must be made, in writing, providing the poles are available. Additional fees will apply for the extension.

A banner made from non-rigid material that is suspended on, across or along a street shall be removed within 14 days of the installation date.

Applicant must comply with any conditions stipulated by the City, Toronto Hydro and the Toronto Transit Commission regarding the installation of banners on the poles.

No electrical displays are to be attached to the banner.

Banner signs must not exceed a maximum width of one metre. The length of the banner can vary in size as long as it does not obscure or interfere with regulatory traffic signage, pedestrian crossovers or traffic control signals.

Any corporate recognition on any banner must not exceed 20% of the total surface area of each side of the banner.

Refusal of Permit

You may be refused a permit if the location requested has already been assigned to someone else or the poles requested are not suitable for the installation of banners.

Removal of Banner

The City may request the removal of a banner for any reason at any time, and the owner/occupant shall at their own cost and expense remove all installations within 48 hours of receiving written notice. If applicant fails to remove a banner, the City may remove it and recover its cost.

In case of emergency, the City may remove the banner without notice and is not obligated to return or restore the banner removed.

Bridge Banner Guidelines

• Banner installation, maintenance and removal of the banners must be done during “off peak” hours.  During the weekdays, Monday to Friday, the off-peak hours are from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm to 6:00 am.
• Banner must be vented and made of weather and tear resistant material.
• Banner lettering must be a minimum of 30.48 cm (12 in) in height.
• Banner size must be 1.22 m (4 ft) wide x 12.2 m (40 ft) long.
• Any corporate recognition must not exceed 20% of the total banner area and must be incidental to the overall design.
• All four sides of the banner are to be hemmed with reinforced fabric.
• Grommets must be reinforced, minimum 9.5 mm (3/8 in) in diameter and installed every 30.48 cm (12 in) around the perimeter of the banner.  The grommets (banner) must be attached to a steel band at the top and bottom of the bridge railing.
• Minimum 4 mm (5/32 inch) diameter aircraft steel cable must be threaded through pre-drilled holes on the steel post then alternately throughout the grommets.
• The aircraft steel cable must be looped back to the start of the cable and two overlapping ends must be secured with guywire clamps and taped.
• All banner hardware must be taped over to ensure there is no injury to anyone who may come in contact with the banner.
• All hardware attached to a painted hand railing or any other component of any bridge, must be separated by foam/insulation or other protective material to avoid damage to the painted hand rail or any other component of the bridge.  Please be aware that there is to be no drilling or any other form of damage to the bridge and its components.
• A damaged banner must be suitably repaired or removed immediately.  Should the City be required to repair or remove a damaged banner, the applicant will bear the costs.
• The applicant must bear all the costs of manufacturing, installing, maintaining and removal of the banners, including any damage to the bridge as a result of the banner installation and removal.
• Hardware attachments and the banner must be removed once the permit expires in 14 days.