Sign Notice of Violation in Toronto: Fines, Legal Risk, What to Do
A Notice of Violation for a sign in Toronto gives you 14 days to make the sign comply with the Sign By-law. If you do not comply by the date, the City can remove the sign, charge you with an offence, and take you to court. The fastest way to reduce your legal risk is to apply for a sign permit, or remove the sign, before the date on the notice.
Rouge Hill Consulting (RHC) gets sign permits for existing signs in Toronto. Our principal, Irteza Ahmed, P.Eng., worked at the City of Toronto as a building plans examiner and reviewed sign permit applications. He has seen the enforcement process from the inside. When the compliance date passes with no action, the City tends to go to prosecution quickly.
What is a sign Notice of Violation in Toronto?
Section 694-28 of Chapter 694, the Toronto Sign By-law, lets the Chief Building Official issue a Notice of Violation to any person who:
- Erected, displayed, modified or restored a sign without a sign permit.
- Erected, displayed, modified or restored a sign that does not agree with its sign permit.
The notice requires you to bring the sign into compliance within 14 days. “Any person” can include the property owner, the tenant and the sign company.
Sign violation fines and legal risk in Toronto
The City’s sign inquiries page says a sign without a permit can result in a $305 fine, a charge to appear in court, or removal of the sign at the property owner’s cost. Chapter 694 sets higher limits when the case goes to court.
| Consequence | Source | Amount or effect |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | City of Toronto | $305 |
| Fine on conviction | 694-27A | $500 to $100,000 |
| Special fine | 694-27B | $500 or more, to remove the economic gain from the violation |
| Daily fine, first party sign with no permit | 694-27D | $250 to $10,000 for each day |
| Daily fine, third party sign with no permit | 694-27D | $500 to $10,000 for each day |
| Removal by the City | 694-28B | Cost added to the property tax roll |
| Administrative fee | Sign-related fees | $963.71 for each sign face, added to your application |
Three points increase the legal risk:
- The fines continue each day. Chapter 694 makes the display of a sign without a permit a continuing offence. The total of the daily fines can go above $100,000.
- Directors and officers can be charged. A director or officer of a corporation who knowingly concurs with the offence is also guilty of an offence (694-27C(8) and (13)).
- The property owner pays for removal. If the City removes the sign, it can add the cost to the tax roll for the property. This applies even if a tenant put up the sign.
Why the City moves to prosecution quickly
The time limits come from the Ontario Provincial Offences Act, not from the City of Toronto Act:
- Section 3(3): an officer must serve a ticket (offence notice) personally within 30 days after the offence.
- Section 76(1): other proceedings must start within six months after the offence, unless another Act sets a different period. A justice can extend the period only with the defendant’s consent.
These limits apply to the start of the charge, not to the trial date. The City cannot wait months to see if you comply. When the 14 days pass with no action, the inspector has a short window to lay a charge. That is why a missed compliance date often leads directly to a charge.
Do not count on the clock to run out. A continuing offence occurs again each day the sign stays up without a permit.
What to do when you get a Notice of Violation
- Read the notice. Find the compliance date, the sign it refers to, and the name of the inspector.
- Do not ignore the date. Contact the inspector before the date. Tell the inspector your plan and when you will apply.
- Find out if the sign complies with Chapter 694. A Sign Code Check tells you if the sign needs only a permit, or a variance first.
- Get permit drawings for the existing sign. The City needs a site plan, elevations, sign details and structural information. We prepare sign permit drawings from site measurements and photos.
- Get engineering if the sign needs it. Most structural signs need engineer-stamped drawings. Stamped drawings also qualify for the City’s two-day Fast Track when there are no deficiencies or other approvals.
- Apply for the sign permit. Include the $963.71 administrative fee for each sign face. The standard review time is 10 business days.
- Send the application number to the inspector. This shows the City that you are acting to comply.
- Close the permit. Book the inspections after you get the permit. See our guide to sign inspections in Toronto.
If you cannot get a permit, remove the sign before the compliance date.
If the sign does not comply with the Sign By-law
A sign that does not comply needs a sign variance before the City can issue a permit. A variance takes months, which is longer than 14 days. Apply as early as you can and tell the inspector. See our guide on how to get a sign variance in Toronto.
Related Toronto sign permit guides
For permit fees by sign type, see our Toronto sign permit fees guide. For a general overview of existing signs with no permit, read already have a sign but no permit?
Need help with a sign Notice of Violation in Toronto?
Send us the Notice of Violation, the address and photos of the sign. We reply within one business day with a plan to meet the compliance date. See our sign permit service or contact us.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. If you received a court summons, speak to a lawyer or licensed paralegal. Sources: Chapter 694 of the Toronto Municipal Code (sections 694-27 and 694-28), the City of Toronto sign pages, and the Ontario Provincial Offences Act.
