Sign by-laws
Real Estate Sign Bylaws in Durham Region and Toronto (2026): Sizes, Open House Rules and Fines by City
Last checked: October 2026. By-law numbers and sections are cited so you can confirm anything with the municipality.
The short version
Every municipality in Durham Region, and Toronto, allows a real estate sign on the property without a permit. The differences are in the details: how big it can be, how many open house signs you can put out, how long they can stay, and what it costs when a by-law officer takes them. Oshawa caps a residential sign at 1 square metre and open house signs at 72 hours on a boulevard. Pickering gives you five open house signs, 24 hours before, four hours after. Toronto gives you six, two hours before, two hours after, and fines start at $500. Ajax, since July 2025, does not allow open house directional signs at all. The table at the bottom puts all six side by side.
We install and remove signs across Durham Region and the GTA, so we deal with these rules every day. This is the guide we wish existed. It covers the six municipalities where most of our installs happen: Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington and Toronto.
Why the rules differ from city to city
Ontario leaves sign regulation to municipalities. Durham Region sets rules for regional roads, but the sign in a front yard and the open house sign on a corner are governed by the lower-tier municipality: Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington, Uxbridge, Scugog or Brock. Toronto has its own code, Chapter 693 of the Municipal Code, which is stricter than anything in Durham.
Three things change when you cross a border:
- The size of the for sale sign. Residential caps range from 0.55 square metres in Clarington and 0.8 in Ajax to 1 square metre in Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering and Toronto. A standard 24 by 36 inch panel is about 0.56 square metres, which is why that size is standard: it fits almost everywhere.
- Open house signs. How many, how early, how late, and whether they can go on a boulevard at all.
- Enforcement. Some cities issue a ticket. Some just pull the sign and bill you for the pickup. Toronto does both and the fines are an order of magnitude higher.
One rule holds everywhere: nothing goes on a sidewalk, in a centre median, on a utility pole or inside a sight triangle at an intersection. If a sign blocks a driver's view, it is coming down no matter what else the by-law says.
Oshawa
Direct answer: In Oshawa, a residential for sale sign can be up to 1 square metre and 2.5 metres tall, one per street frontage, no permit needed. Open house signs on a boulevard must be at least 1 metre from the curb, no taller than 1.2 metres, and cannot stay in one spot for more than 72 hours in any seven-day period.
By-law: Sign By-law 72-96, as amended.
For sale signs (Section 5.6). The by-law calls these "real estate point of sale signs." On residential lots, maximum sign area is 1.0 square metre and maximum height is 2.5 metres (5.6.5). One sign per street line per lot (5.6.7), so a corner lot gets two. No illumination in residential zones (5.6.8). The sign has to be on the lot being sold (5.6.4) and cannot be on a highway (5.6.3). On commercial and industrial lots the cap rises to 6 square metres and 4 metres tall (5.6.6).
Open house signs (Section 5.5 and 3.2). Permitted in every zone except the Central Business District. On a boulevard the sign must sit at least 1 metre from the curb, or 2 metres from the travelled portion of the road where there is no curb (3.2.2). Maximum 1.2 metres above the curb and 0.8 metres wide (3.2.3). It cannot stay in one location for more than 72 hours total in any consecutive seven days, weekends included (3.2.4). It cannot be on a sidewalk (3.2.6), and anything taller than 0.6 metres has to be at least 20 metres back from an intersection (3.2.7). Every boulevard sign must show the name, address and phone number of whoever is responsible for it (3.2.5).
Removal. The by-law does not set a day count. The sign is meant to come down when the sale or lease is done. In practice, Oshawa's enforcement is complaint-driven, and the complaint usually comes from a neighbour of a sold home where the post is still standing three weeks later.
Fines (Section 1.10). Oshawa uses administrative penalties: $75 for a first violation, $175 for a second within a year, $275 for a third and each one after that (1.10.11). If the City removes an unlawful sign, the charge is a minimum of $50 plus actual labour and equipment (1.10.5). Prosecution under the Provincial Offences Act is also available for serious or repeat cases (1.10.2).
We install in Oshawa daily. See real estate sign installation in Oshawa.
Whitby
Direct answer: In Whitby, a residential for sale sign can be up to 1 square metre, one per street line, set back from the street line by at least its own height plus 1 metre, no permit needed. Open house signs can go on the boulevard at least 1 metre from the curb, no taller than 1.2 metres and no wider than 0.8 metres, and must come down when the open house ends or within 72 hours, whichever comes first.
By-laws: Temporary Sign By-law 5696-05, consolidated to amending By-law 8292-26 (May 2026); Permanent Sign By-law 7379-18. For sale and open house signs are temporary signs, so their rules are all in 5696-05. The permanent sign by-law has no real estate sign provisions.
For sale signs (Section 3(f)). The by-law calls these "real estate point of sale signs" (1(p)). In a residential zone the maximum sign area is 1.0 square metre (3(f)(i)), and you can have one per street line per lot (3(f)(ii)), so a corner lot gets two. Maximum height is 7.5 metres (3(f)(v)), and the sign must be set back from the street line by a distance equal to its height plus 1.0 metre (3(f)(vi)). No artificial illumination (3(f)(vii)). In non-residential zones the cap is 6.0 square metres on lots with 29 metres of frontage or less, and 35 square metres on larger lots or lots along service roads including Highway 401 (3(f)(iii)). No permit is needed: the permit requirement in 4(2) covers construction, mobile, residential sales office and subdivision signs only.
The setback is the Whitby rule that surprises people. It is measured from the street line, which is the property line with the road allowance (1(x)), not from the curb. A post that is about 1.8 metres tall belongs at least 2.8 metres behind that line. A for sale sign on the boulevard is a contravention of 2(a), because a point of sale sign is not one of the temporary signs allowed within the limits of a street.
Open house signs (Section 3(e) and 2(a)). Section 2(a) allows real estate open house signs within the limits of a street, which includes the boulevard. The definition covers both an open house sign and a sign giving directions to a property for sale (1(o)). Maximum height 1.2 metres (3(e)(i)) and maximum width 0.8 metres (3(e)(ii)). At least 1.0 metre from the curb or the travelled portion of the road, and not obstructing a sidewalk or driveway or inside a sight triangle (3(e)(iii)). The sign must be removed once the open house is over or within 72 hours, whichever comes first (3(e)(v)). The by-law does not cap the number of open house signs, set an earliest time they can go up, or require any particular information on them.
Removal. By-law 5696-05 does not set a removal period for a for sale sign after the sale. A sign that breaks the by-law on Town property or the road allowance can be removed immediately without notice (7(1)). On private property the Town sends a notice first and gives 7 calendar days to fix or remove the sign (7(2)).
Fines (Section 8 and Schedule A). Whitby uses administrative penalties: $350 for a first penalty notice, $500 for a second notice for the same offence within 90 days, and $750 for a third (8(3), Schedule A). Designated offences include a sign within the limits of a street where it is not allowed (2(a)), a sign in a sight triangle (2(d)), and a sign obstructing a sidewalk, driveway or parking space (2(h)). If the Town removes a sign, getting it back costs the actual labour and equipment, with a $50 minimum, and signs are held for 30 days (7(3)). Prosecution under the Provincial Offences Act is also available (8(1)).
What we can say from experience: Whitby by-law officers patrol the main corridors, Brock Street, Dundas Street, Taunton Road and Rossland Road, on weekend afternoons and will collect open house signs on those boulevards. Signs left on arterial boulevards overnight on a Sunday are the ones that disappear. See real estate sign installation in Whitby.
Ajax
Direct answer: In Ajax, a for sale sign on the property needs no permit if it is no bigger than 0.8 square metres in a residential zone, and it must come down within 14 days of an accepted offer. Open house directional signs are prohibited outright under Temporary Signs By-law 49-2025, in force since July 28, 2025, and each contravention carries a $250 administrative penalty.
By-laws: Temporary Signs By-law 49-2025, in force July 28, 2025, for open house and other temporary signs; Sign By-law 27-2009 (office consolidation) for real estate signs on the property. Penalty amounts are set by Administrative Monetary Penalty System By-law 22-2026.
For sale signs (Sign By-law 27-2009, Section 8.1(d)). Real estate signs are exempt from a permit if they are no larger than 0.8 square metres in a residential zone and 2.0 square metres in all other zones, and they must be removed within 14 days after the date an offer to purchase or lease is accepted (8.1(d)). The by-law sets no height or per-frontage limit for real estate signs. The general placement rules still apply: no sign within 3 metres of a driveway where it meets the road (9.8), in a daylighting triangle (9.9), within 15 metres of a traffic light, stop sign or other traffic control device (9.10), or overhanging or encroaching on Town property, including the road allowance (9.3).
A 0.8 square metre cap is below Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering and Toronto. The standard 24 by 36 inch panel, at about 0.56 square metres, is well inside it.
Open house signs (Temporary Signs By-law 49-2025). Section 10.1(g) lists open house directional signs as prohibited, and 10.1(e) prohibits any step stake, the wire-frame sign most open house signs are printed on. The by-law defines an open house directional sign as an advertising device directing the public to a property sale or open house (3.2(q)), and section 9.3 bans erecting an advertising device anywhere in the Town. No temporary sign of any kind can go on property or a road owned by the Town or the Region (9.2). An A-frame on the lawn does not get around it: A-frame signs are only allowed in commercial, employment or institutional zones (11.1) and on the lot of the business they advertise (14.1). There is no permitted number, time window or size for open house signs in Ajax, because they are not permitted.
Removal. For sale signs: within 14 days of an accepted offer (27-2009, 8.1(d)). Under 49-2025, a sign on Town or Regional property can be removed without notice, becomes the Town's property and is disposed of (17.1).
Fines. Contraventions of 49-2025 are $250 administrative penalties under Schedule "M" of AMPS By-law 22-2026, including an advertising device anywhere in the Town (9.3) and a temporary sign on Town or Regional property (9.2). Under Sign By-law 27-2009, a contravention is an offence under the Provincial Offences Act (25.8), and getting back a sign the Town removed costs $25 for an A-frame, $100 for a portable sign, or the total cost of removal, whichever is greater (25.7).
Because this by-law is new, it is the one most likely to have changed something agents were used to. If you have been putting out open house signs in Ajax the same way for years, stop: under 49-2025 they are not allowed at all. See real estate sign installation in Ajax.
Pickering
Direct answer: In Pickering, a residential for sale sign can be up to 1 square metre, no permit needed. You can put out up to five open house signs, each no bigger than 1 square metre and 1 metre tall, starting 24 hours before the open house, and they must be gone four hours after it ends. Each sign has to show the address, date and time of the open house.
By-law: Sign By-law 6999/09, as amended following the City's sign by-law review.
For sale signs. Maximum 1.0 square metre on residential and open space lots, 2.5 square metres on non-residential. Exempt from permits. A property of half a hectare or more with two street frontages can have two signs, one per frontage.
Open house signs. Up to five signs per open house. Maximum 1.0 square metre in area and 1.0 metre in height. They can go up 24 hours before the open house starts and must be taken down four hours after it ends. Every sign must include the municipal address, the date and the time of the open house. That last requirement was added in the most recent revision, and signs without it are the first ones picked up.
Removal. The by-law does not set a specific day count for for sale signs after closing.
Fines. Pickering enforces under the Provincial Offences Act. Set fine amounts are not published in the by-law summary; expect a removal first and a ticket for repeat offenders.
Clarington
Direct answer: Clarington has the smallest residential cap in Durham: a for sale sign can be no bigger than 0.55 square metres, one per lot frontage, at least 1 metre back from the street line, no permit needed. The standard 24 by 36 inch panel is 0.56 square metres, so order the 24 by 30 or keep the panel inside the frame.
By-law: Sign By-law 2009-123, consolidated.
For sale signs. Defined in Section 2.1 as a sign on a property announcing its sale, lease or rental. Exempt from permits under Section 3.11(i) as long as it complies with the rest of the by-law. Maximum area per Table 3 (Section 7.10): 0.55 square metres on residential and heritage lots, 2.75 square metres on industrial, commercial, institutional and agricultural lots. One sign per lot frontage per Table 2 (Section 7.9). No sign may be closer than 1.0 metre to a street line (5.2(vi)), block a visibility triangle (5.2(ix)) or impede parking or access (5.2(iii)). Nothing above the first storey (5.1(v)).
Open house signs. The by-law does not create a separate open house category. Open house signs are treated as temporary signs and the general placement rules apply, including the 1 metre setback and the sight triangle rule. Boulevard placement in Clarington is the greyest area in the region; most agents put them out Saturday morning and collect them Sunday evening, and that has been tolerated.
Removal. No duration or post-sale removal period is set in the by-law.
Fines. Section 11.2 makes a violation an offence under the Provincial Offences Act. Amounts are not listed in the by-law itself.
A note on the 0.55 square metre cap. It is the single most common reason a Clarington sign gets flagged. A 24 by 36 panel is 0.557 square metres, technically over. Nobody is out with a tape measure for a few square centimetres, but if a neighbour complains, the officer has the number on their side. We stock 24 by 30 panels for Bowmanville, Courtice and Newcastle for this reason. See real estate sign installation in Clarington.
Toronto
Direct answer: In Toronto, a residential for sale sign can be up to 1 square metre, one per street line, on the property only, and it must come down within 30 days of the property no longer being for sale. You can put out up to six open house directional signs, each no more than 1 metre tall and 0.6 metres wide, from two hours before the open house to two hours after. Fines start at $500 per offence.
By-law: Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 693, Signs, Election and Temporary.
For sale signs (Section 693-4.9.B). Exempt from a permit under 693-4.1.A(1)(e). The sign must be entirely on the property being sold or leased, no more than one facing each street line, and it must be attached to the ground with a stake, to a fence (not a hedge) or to a wall. Maximum two sign faces. Maximum area 1 square metre on residential property, 4 square metres on non-residential. It may only display content about the sale, rent or lease. It must be removed within 30 days after the premises is no longer for sale, rent or lease. That 30-day rule is the one that catches agents. Toronto and Ajax are the only municipalities on this list that put a number on it, and Ajax's is shorter: 14 days from an accepted offer.
Open house directional signs (Section 693-4.11.B). Exempt from a permit under 693-4.1.A(1)(g). No more than six per residential property. Each must show the address of the property and the date of the open house. They may only be displayed between sunrise and sunset, and only from two hours before the open house opens until two hours after it closes. Height between 0.5 and 1.0 metres, width no more than 0.6 metres, area no more than 0.5 square metres, staked into the ground, not permanently affixed, two faces maximum. If a sign is on private property it needs the written consent of the owner (693-4.11.A(2)).
Where signs cannot go (Section 693-4.1.C). Not on public property except where the chapter allows, not in a sight triangle, not on a utility pole or tree, not within 3 metres of a driveway, not within 9 metres of a traffic control device. Nine metres from a stop sign is further than most people think; it rules out most corners.
Fines (Section 693-7.1). A conviction carries a fine of no less than $500 and no more than $100,000. A continuing offence carries a daily fine of $500 to $10,000 per day. Toronto also removes signs without notice and charges for retrieval.
We install in Toronto east of Yonge and across Scarborough. See real estate sign installation in Toronto.
Side by side
For sale signs on a residential lot
| Municipality | By-law | Max area | Max height | How many | Permit | Removal after sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oshawa | 72-96 | 1.0 m² | 2.5 m | 1 per street line | No | Not specified |
| Whitby | 5696-05 | 1.0 m² | 7.5 m; setback equal to height plus 1 m | 1 per street line | No | Not specified |
| Ajax | 27-2009 | 0.8 m² | Not specified | Not specified | No | Within 14 days of accepted offer |
| Pickering | 6999/09 | 1.0 m² | Not specified | 1 (2 on lots over 0.5 ha with 2 frontages) | No | Not specified |
| Clarington | 2009-123 | 0.55 m² | First storey | 1 per frontage | No | Not specified |
| Toronto | Chapter 693 | 1.0 m² | Not specified | 1 per street line | No | Within 30 days |
Open house signs
| Municipality | How many | Up from | Down by | Max size | Boulevard allowed | Must show |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oshawa | Not capped | Not specified | 72 hrs max per spot per week | 1.2 m tall, 0.8 m wide | Yes, 1 m from curb | Name, address, phone of owner |
| Whitby | Not capped | Not specified | When open house ends, or 72 hrs, whichever first | 1.2 m tall, 0.8 m wide | Yes, 1 m from curb | Nothing specified |
| Ajax | Prohibited (49-2025, 10.1(g)) | Not permitted | Not permitted | Not permitted | No (9.2) | Not permitted |
| Pickering | 5 | 24 hrs before | 4 hrs after | 1.0 m², 1.0 m tall | Per temporary sign rules | Address, date, time |
| Clarington | Not capped | Not specified | Not specified | General rules | Grey area, tolerated | Nothing specified |
| Toronto | 6 | 2 hrs before | 2 hrs after | 0.5 m², 1.0 m tall, 0.6 m wide | Public property mostly prohibited | Address, date |
What it costs when you get it wrong
| Municipality | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Oshawa | $75 first, $175 second, $275 third and after, within one year; plus $50 minimum removal charge |
| Whitby | $350 first, $500 second, $750 third, within 90 days; plus $50 minimum removal charge |
| Ajax | $250 administrative penalty per contravention of the temporary sign by-law; Provincial Offences Act for for sale signs; retrieval fee of $25 to $100 or actual cost |
| Pickering | Provincial Offences Act; removal first in practice |
| Clarington | Provincial Offences Act; amounts not listed in by-law |
| Toronto | $500 to $100,000 per offence; $500 to $10,000 per day if continuing |
What a by-law officer actually does
The by-laws describe the maximums. Enforcement is what you should plan around.
In Durham, enforcement is almost entirely complaint-driven. An officer is not driving Taunton Road looking for 25-inch-wide open house signs. They respond when someone calls, and the calls come from three places: a neighbour of a sold house where the post is still up, a resident whose boulevard has become a sign forest on Sundays, and a driver who could not see past a sign at an intersection. Avoid those three and you will almost never hear from the Town.
In Toronto, it is different. Transportation Services pulls signs from boulevards on a schedule, particularly on arterials, and they do not call first. The sign goes into a truck and you can retrieve it from a yard for a fee, or not. Agents who work Toronto and Durham both need to treat them as two different jobs.
What gets a sign pulled fastest, everywhere:
- On the sidewalk or in the median
- Inside the sight triangle at a corner
- Attached to a hydro pole, light standard or tree
- Still standing a month after closing
- No contact information on a boulevard sign (Oshawa requires it, and it is how they decide who to call)
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a permit for a for sale sign in Durham Region or Toronto?
- No. Every municipality on this page exempts a real estate sign on the property being sold from its permit requirement, as long as the sign meets the size and placement rules. Oshawa 72-96 s. 1.8.1, Clarington 2009-123 s. 3.11(i), Pickering 6999/09, Toronto Chapter 693 s. 693-4.1.A(1)(e).
- What size real estate sign is legal everywhere in Durham Region?
- A 24 by 30 inch panel, about 0.46 square metres, is under every residential cap in the region, including Clarington's 0.55 square metres. The common 24 by 36 panel is about 0.56 square metres, which is fine in Oshawa, Pickering and Toronto but technically over the Clarington limit.
- How long can a sold sign stay up?
- Toronto says 30 days after the property is no longer for sale, rent or lease (693-4.9.B). Oshawa, Pickering and Clarington do not set a number, but all three can remove a sign that is no longer serving its purpose and charge for it. Our standard rental is 90 days with removal included, which covers most listings from list to close.
- How many open house signs can I put out?
- Pickering allows five. Toronto allows six. Oshawa and Clarington do not cap the number, but Oshawa limits each sign to 72 hours in one spot per week and requires contact information on it. Whitby and Ajax: see their sections above.
- Can open house signs go on the boulevard?
- In Oshawa yes, at least 1 metre from the curb, no more than 1.2 metres tall, not on the sidewalk, and not within 20 metres of an intersection if over 0.6 metres tall. In Toronto, public property is mostly off limits, and private property needs the owner's written consent. Pickering and Clarington apply their general temporary sign rules. In practice across Durham, signs that go out Saturday morning and come back Sunday evening are rarely touched.
- What has to be printed on an open house sign?
- Pickering: the address, the date and the time. Toronto: the address and the date. Oshawa: the name, address and phone number of the person responsible for any sign on a boulevard. Print all of it and the sign is legal in every one of these cities.
- What is the fine for an illegal real estate sign?
- Oshawa: $75, then $175, then $275 within a year, plus at least $50 if the City removes it. Toronto: $500 minimum per offence, up to $100,000, and up to $10,000 per day for a continuing offence. Pickering and Clarington prosecute under the Provincial Offences Act and remove first in practice.
- Who is responsible if a sign is installed illegally, the agent or the installer?
- The by-laws hold the person who placed the sign and the person who benefits from it. In practice the ticket goes to whoever's name and number are on it, which is usually the brokerage. A professional installer places posts to the by-law, keeps them out of sight triangles and off the road allowance, and handles the removal date so nothing is standing a month after closing. That is most of what you are paying for.
Need a post installed to the by-law in any of these cities? Order online by 6 pm and it is usually in the ground the next business day, removal included. See real estate sign installation for prices, or read the Durham Region election sign rules if you are running a campaign.
Sources: Oshawa Sign By-law 72-96 as amended; Whitby Temporary Sign By-law 5696-05 (consolidated to By-law 8292-26) and Permanent Sign By-law 7379-18; Ajax Temporary Signs By-law 49-2025, Sign By-law 27-2009 (office consolidation) and Administrative Monetary Penalty System By-law 22-2026; Pickering Sign By-law 6999/09 and the City's Summary of Sign By-law Review; Clarington Sign By-law 2009-123 consolidated; Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 693. Checked October 2026. By-laws change; confirm with the municipality before relying on a figure.