Sign Code Modernization

a photo of a Boston city street showing stores with signs

Overview
Timeline
Engagement

Overview

Sign Code Modernization is a Planning Department initiative that will update the zoning rules and review processes for commercial signage across Boston, to make it easier for small businesses to put up new signage.

Boston’s current signage rules are found in Article 11 of the Zoning Code. Adopted in 1972, these rules are now severely outdated and misaligned with how the city has grown since then. Currently, it takes almost five times longer to get a sign permitted in Boston today (150 days on average) than in any other major city in the Country. Sign Code Modernization proposes to fix this problem through the implementation of more flexible zoning requirements and streamlined review processes for signs, saving small businesses valuable time and money in efforts to open their doors.

The Planning Department envisions that a more robust review process will continue to remain for larger, high-impact signs like electronic signs, to ensure their presence and design is appropriate to their context.

Timeline

Staff will release draft recommendations in March 2026, preceding a period of spring engagement ahead of a possible June 2026 adoption by the Boston Zoning Commission.