When does a signboard need a Professional Engineer?
BCA requires a Permit To Use before granting a sign licence where the sign exceeds 10 m² and is supported by an advertising structure, or where the advertising structure exceeds 10 m² or has a point 4 m or more above the surface it stands on. The PE applies through CORENET e-Submission. Banners need PE certification on the drawings if they exceed 10 m² and use bars or rods, or exceed 30 m². Many owners also commission a PE check for smaller signs with heavy or high fixings.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Signboards, Advertising Structures and Temporary Structures in Singapore: Licences, PE Endorsement and Safety. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
Outdoor signs in Singapore are licensed by BCA under the Building Control (Outdoor Advertising) Regulations, amended from 2 November 2026. A Permit To Use, applied for by a Professional Engineer, is needed before licensing when a sign over 10 m² sits on an advertising structure, or the structure exceeds 10 m² or reaches 4 m high. Owners must keep signs securely fixed.
More questions on this topic
- Do I need a licence for my shop signboard?
- What changed for signs on 2 November 2026?
- Is a signboard an 'exterior feature' under the Building Control Act?
- Who is liable if a signboard falls?
- Does an exhibition booth need PE endorsement?
- Do event tents and stages need a Permit To Use?
- How long can a temporary building stay up?