Everyone - no person shall display or erect any advertising sign or hoarding or use any advertising sign or hoarding or use any structure or device as an advertising sign or hoarding without first having obtained the written approval of the council (unless the sign in question has been specifically exempted in the council's Signs and Hoardings By-laws which were published under Local Authority Notice 7170, dated 28 November 2001). Once a sign has been approved by the council, it may not be altered, moved, re-erected, or any alteration made to the electrical wiring system (unless for repairs and maintenance) without applying to the council for further approval.

What if someone fails to submit an application?
If you have chosen to erect an advertising sign or hoarding without having the application approved, an enforcement officer is entitled to enter your property and order construction to stop immediately. A court order could even be obtained for the structure to be removed, at your expense, and you would be liable for legal costs as well. In serious cases, you could be fined or sent to prison.

Where can I get an application form?
You can get application forms online from the outdoor advertising department on the sixth floor of Metro Centre, 158 Loveday Street, Braamfontein, between 8am and 3pm.

How do I submit the application?
You submit the completed forms, together with the plans and supporting documentation, to the same department on the sixth floor of Metro Centre, 158 Loveday Street, Braamfontein.

What does the council need from me before it considers my application?

• A completed application form, signed by the owner of the property or his or her authorised representative (proof of authorisation is required) together with a copy of the registered title deed. The title deed can be obtained either from the attorneys who handled the transfer of the property, the financial institution that granted a first mortgage bond over the property, or the deeds office.
• Where a company or an organisation such as a school or church submits an application for approval, a letter must be provided by the organisation authorising one person to sign the application form.
• An artist's impression and elevations with measurements.
• A locality plan of the area indicating the site.
• A detailed site plan with measurements indicating the position of the sign.
• A separate form also needs to be completed by a professional engineer or a technologist registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa, who takes responsibility for the structural stability of the structure.
• A zoning certificate with a copy of the most recent amendment scheme, a zoning map of the area and an S G diagram of the property is to be furnished.

For further details on the specific requirements for different categories of signs, refer to the panel alongside, Specific application requirements.

How much does it cost to submit an application?
A standardised set of tariffs, as set out below, applies when calculating the fee payable. Fees can be paid at the cashier, either by cash or cheque (there is no credit card facility).

Tariff of charges: advertising signs and hoardings
(a) For any sign, erected for the purpose of advertising the business conducted on the premises or name of the business or enterprise, the application fee is R550 with a further amount of R50 per square metre of the advertising display which is payable on approval only.

(b) For any third party sign bigger than 4,5m² the application fee is R550 with a further amount of R110 per square metre of the advertising display which is payable on approval only.

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