Do You Need Planning Permission for a Shop Sign?
Updated ·4 min read
Often not, but it depends on the sign. In England, shop signs are controlled by the advertisement regulations rather than ordinary planning permission, and many non-illuminated fascia signs can go up without an application under "deemed consent". Illuminated signs, signs higher than 4.6m above the ground and signs on listed buildings usually need consent, so check with your local planning authority before you order.
Advertisement consent, not planning permission
In England, signs are controlled by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007. Under these rules a sign falls into one of three groups:
- Excluded: signs the rules leave outside the council's direct control, such as unlit signs inside a building that are more than one metre from any window.
- Deemed consent: signs you can put up without applying, provided they meet every condition of their class.
- Express consent: everything else, which needs an application to your local planning authority.
Every sign must also meet five standard conditions: it needs the permission of the site owner, must be kept clean, tidy and safe, must not obscure or hinder road, rail, waterway or aircraft signs, and must be removed carefully if the council requires it.
When a non-illuminated shop sign has deemed consent
Class 5 of the regulations covers signs on business premises. A non-illuminated fascia or wall sign usually has deemed consent if it:
- advertises the business, the goods or services available there, or the name and qualifications of the person running it
- has no letters, figures or symbols taller than 0.75m (0.3m in an Area of Special Control of Advertisements)
- has its highest part no more than 4.6m above ground level (3.6m in an Area of Special Control), and no higher than the bottom of any first-floor window in that wall
- is on a wall with a shop window in it, if the premises is a shop
If your sign meets all of these, you can usually put it up without applying. If it misses any one of them, you will need express consent.
Illuminated signs
The majority of illuminated signs need advertisement consent. A limited deemed consent (Class 4) covers some signs on business premises with internally lit or halo-lit letters, but with strict conditions: no flashing or moving lights and no exposed neon tubing, no more than one fascia sign and one projecting sign, at least 2.5m above the ground at the lowest point, limits on depth and projection, and maximum brightness levels.
Class 4 does not apply at all in conservation areas, National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Broads or Areas of Special Control. In practice, if you are planning a lightbox or illuminated fascia on the outside of your building, assume you need consent and ask your council early.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Rules are tighter in conservation areas. Illuminated signs lose their deemed consent there, many councils publish design guidance for shopfronts, and some areas are designated Areas of Special Control of Advertisements, with lower height limits.
If your building is listed, a sign attached to it needs listed building consent, even if it would not otherwise need advertisement consent. This is a separate application, so speak to your council's conservation officer before you order.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
This guide covers England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own advertisement regulations. The approach is broadly similar, but the classes, limits and procedures differ, so check with the planning authority where your premises are.
How to apply, and what to check first
You apply for advertisement consent to your local planning authority, usually online through the Planning Portal, with drawings showing the sign's size, position, materials and any lighting. There is a fee, and decisions should normally be made within 8 weeks. Consent usually lasts five years.
Displaying a sign that needs consent without it is an offence, and the council can make you take it down. Before you order, check:
- whether your building is listed or in a conservation area
- whether the sign will be illuminated, and how
- how high the top of the sign and the lettering will be
- that you have your landlord's or site owner's permission
Common questions
Do I need permission to replace an existing shop sign?
It depends on the new sign, not the old one. If the replacement meets the deemed consent conditions, it can usually go up without an application. If it is illuminated, larger or higher, or the building is listed, check with your council first.
Do window graphics need planning permission?
Unlit signs inside a building that are more than one metre from any window are outside the council's direct control. Signs closer to the glass are covered by the regulations, so check the rules for your premises, especially if the building is listed.
How long does advertisement consent take?
Decisions should normally be made within 8 weeks of the council accepting a valid application. Consent usually lasts five years.
Do A-boards need permission?
An A-board on the pavement is normally on highway land, so you need the council's permission to place it there, and many councils have their own A-board rules. Unlit boards on your own forecourt can have deemed consent. See our guide to A-boards on the pavement.
Do vehicle graphics need planning permission?
Generally no. In England, adverts on a vehicle that is normally moving are excluded from advertisement control. See our vehicle signage page for what we make.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and every site is different, so always confirm with your local planning authority.
Sources: GOV.UK: Outdoor advertisements and signs, a guide for advertisers; Planning Portal: Advertisement consent
