If a sign was permitted under the current Sign Bylaw, but does not conform to the draft updated Sign Bylaw, the sign may be maintained, and its copy may be changed. However, the sign may not be moved or reconstructed, unless it conforms to the updated Sign Bylaw, if adopted.

The draft updated Sign Bylaw includes several changes to reduce approval time and resources.

The draft bylaw incorporates the Official Community Plan development pemrit guidelines for signs into the bylaw, which means a development permit would no longer be required to approve the form and character of signage that complies with the bylaw.

The draft bylaw also eliminates the requirement for a sign permit to change the copy of a sign, provided the structural support of the sign is not altered.

In addition, improvements to the structure of the bylaw make information quicker and easier to find and reduce the potential that important requirements are missed.

Where possible, the draft sign regulations were drawn from the City's current Sign Bylaw. Where additional regulations were required, the draft sign regulations were drawn from other sign bylaws in British Columbia, current City bylaws, or from the development permit guidelines of the City's Official Community Plan, which would allow signs that conform to the draft updated Sign Bylaw to be exempt from the requirement for a development permit.

Some signs are proposed to be exempt from the draft updated Sign Bylaw, such as election signs under the City's Election Sign Bylaw, traffic control devices, or provincial highway signs. 

For a complete list of the signs proposed to be exempt from the draft updated Sign Bylaw, see the draft Application section.

Some signs are proposed to not require a sign permit under the draft updated Sign Bylaw, such as Banner Signs, Promotional Signs, or Sandwich Board Signs, provided that they comply with the regulations of the bylaw. While a sign permit may not be required for these signs, other permits may be required in some cases, including an electrical permit or highway use permit. 

The proposed regulations for signs that do not require a permit are found in the draft Signs Not Requiring a Permit section.

The draft updated Sign Bylaw organizes the City into 3 sign districts, which allow different sign regulations for different areas of the City. The proposed sign districts are the Mixed Use Centres Sign District, Historic Downtown Sign District, and Municipal Sign District. The proposed sign districts are based on the City's Official Community Plan and development permit guidelines, allowing the signs that conform to the bylaw to be exempt from the requirement for a development permit. 

For a detailed description and map of the proposed sign districts, see the draft Sign Districts section. For convenience, the City's Web Map may be used to determine the land use designation or Neighbourhood Plan that applies to a property.

The Sign Bylaw Update is a comprehensive update to the structure, content, and process of the City's Sign Bylaw, with the goal of making the bylaw more user-friendly and consistent with City bylaws and policies, encouraging high quality signage, and streamlining the sign approval process.

For more information, see the Summary of Key Updates.

Following comprehensive background research, analysis, and input from City departments and Council Committees, City staff have prepared a draft of the updated Sign Bylaw for feedback.

City staff are in the process of collecting feedback on the draft bylaw from key stakeholders and the public. The draft updated Sign Bylaw will be presented to Council after feedback is incorporated into the bylaw.

Stay tuned for further updates on Let's Talk Abbotsford.