Ottawa Sign Permits 2026: Fees, Heritage Permits, and HCD Rules

Planning to install a commercial sign in Ottawa? The permit landscape shifted in late 2024 with new Heritage Conservation District Plans adopted by City Council. Here is what you need to know heading into 2026.

The Operative Sign By-law

Ottawa's commercial signage is governed by the Permanent Signs on Private Property By-law No. 2016-326. The current consolidation includes amending by-laws through 2024-16 (the most recent amendment). A separate by-law, 2004-239, governs temporary signs. Signs on City roads fall under By-law 2003-520.

Most permanent exterior commercial signs require a Sign Permit from Building Code Services before installation. Signs installed before a permit is in hand face an administrative surcharge of 50% of the standard fee.

Do You Need a Sign Permit?

Permit required for:

All illuminated signs (internally or externally lit)
Freestanding signs (pylons, monuments) over minimum size thresholds
Wall signs over 0.3 m²
Projecting and blade signs
Awning and canopy signs with lettering
Signs on heritage-designated properties or within Heritage Conservation Districts

Typically no permit needed:

Temporary signs within size limits
Window graphics covering under 20% of window area in most zones
Certain parking and directional signs on private property
Interior signage

When in doubt, verify with the City before proceeding. Signs installed without a permit trigger a 50% administrative surcharge on top of standard fees.

2026 Ottawa Sign Permit Fees

Fees under the Building Code Services Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026:

| Sign Type | Fee | |---|---| | Permanent sign (wall, fascia, and most permanent signs) | $426 | | Static Billboard | $2,668 | | Digital Billboard | $3,538 | | Development Sign (1,000 m² or less) | $477 | | Digital Menu Board | $557 | | Message Centre | $677 | | Home-based Business or B&B sign | $266 | | Encroachment Fee (per sign) | $400 | | Sign Minor Variance | $2,487 | | Administrative surcharge (installed before permit) | +50% of standard fee |

A separate Heritage Permit is required for signs in Heritage Conservation Districts or on Part IV heritage-designated properties. See below for heritage permit fees.

Heritage Conservation Districts: The Two-Permit Reality

This is the most important change for signs in Ottawa's older neighbourhoods.

Two Ottawa areas are designated as Heritage Conservation Districts (HCDs) under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act:

ByWard Market HCD - designated by By-law 60-91, March 6, 1991
Lowertown West HCD - designated August 3, 1994; approximately 560 properties

New Heritage Conservation District Plans for both districts were adopted by City Council on October 30, 2024 and came into force December 16, 2024. These plans add prescriptive design direction and a "Contributing / Non-contributing" building categorization, but do not change the HCD boundaries. The 2024 plans explicitly direct staff to review the sign by-law in the context of both HCDs and bring forward any recommended amendments - meaning sign-specific rules for these districts may be further refined.

What this means for your sign

If your property is within either HCD, you need two separate City approvals before a sign can be installed:

Sign Permit under By-law 2016-326
Heritage Permit (Application for Permit under the Ontario Heritage Act)

The Sign Permit will not issue until the Heritage Permit is in place. Both applications are submitted separately.

Heritage Permit fees (effective January 1, 2026)

| Type of Review | Fee | |---|---| | Staff-level - Alterations (sign changes, windows, dormers, porches) | $309 | | Staff-level - Restoration / Maintenance / Landscaping | $0 | | Council-level - Minor Alterations | $2,799 | | Council-level - Major Alterations | $10,093 |

A typical new storefront sign in the ByWard Market or Lowertown West HCD: $426 (Sign Permit) + $309 (staff-level Heritage Permit) = $735 in basic City fees, assuming no Council-level review is required.

Who reviews heritage permit applications?

The Built Heritage Committee (BHC) is the approval body for Council-level heritage permit applications. The Committee was formerly known as the Built Heritage Sub-Committee.

Two approval pathways exist:

Staff-level (delegated authority): Routine sign applications - window decals, like-for-like fascia replacement, painted signs, simple wall signs on contributing buildings. Statutory 90-day clock from a complete application. Typical turnaround: 3 to 5 weeks.

Council-level: Significant alterations, new construction integrating signage, large illuminated signs on contributing buildings, or any sign tied to a Zoning By-law amendment. Goes to the Built Heritage Committee for a recommendation, then to City Council. Typical timeline: 8 to 14 weeks.

Heritage Properties Outside the HCDs

Even outside the ByWard Market and Lowertown West HCDs, individual buildings throughout Ottawa are designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act or listed on Ottawa's municipal Heritage Register.

Part IV designated properties: A Heritage Permit is required in addition to the Sign Permit. Staff-level fee is $309 (effective January 1, 2026). Typical timeline: 3 to 5 weeks. The affidavit required for a Heritage Permit application can be signed by a Commissioner of Oaths at no charge through the City.

Properties listed on the Heritage Register (not designated): A Heritage Permit is generally not required for sign alterations. This distinction matters because Ottawa's Heritage Register includes over 4,600 non-designated properties - the largest Heritage Register in Ontario.

Bills 23 and 200 changed the rules around the Register. Under Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022), properties listed before 2023 must be either designated or delisted within two years. Ottawa removed approximately 800 non-designated properties from the Register between February and April 2024. Bill 200 (Homeowner Protection Act, 2024) extended the pre-2023-listings deadline from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2027. The practical takeaway: a property merely listed but not designated does not require a heritage permit for sign alterations - that obligation attaches only on designation under Part IV or inclusion in a Part V HCD.

NCC Special Sign Districts

Signs on properties near Parliament Hill, Wellington Street, Sussex Drive, MacKenzie Avenue, and Confederation Boulevard may require National Capital Commission (NCC) sign-off in addition to the City permit. The Rideau Canal corridor and Schedule D of the Sign By-law define the NCC Special Sign District boundaries.

The ByWard Market HCD is not within the NCC Special Sign District. However, the HCD's western edge along Sussex Drive and MacKenzie Avenue is adjacent to NCC-regulated territory. Properties at those addresses should be verified before design begins.

Application Contact

Sign Permit applications: Building Code Services
Addressing & Signs
Phone: 613-580-2424 ext. 41162
Email: addressingandsigns@ottawa.ca

Heritage Permit applications are a separate submission to the Heritage Planning Branch.

How Lundon Calling Handles This

We prepare Sign Permit and Heritage Permit applications in parallel where both are required. For ByWard Market and Lowertown West projects, we prepare the heritage rationale documentation, coordinate with Heritage Planning Branch staff, and track the statutory 90-day clock alongside the sign permit application.

Every Lundon Calling project includes a permit status check before design begins - confirming whether the property is in an HCD, designated under Part IV, or listed on the Heritage Register. No surprises after fabrication.

Ready to get your permit handled? See our Ottawa sign permit handling service or contact us for a free permit assessment.