Municipal

Patio and sign permits

Most municipalities require a permit for an exterior sign; Sidney doesn’t. A patio on a public sidewalk needs a patio licence or agreement where the municipality has a program at all — Victoria, Langford, Oak Bay, Sidney, Courtenay, Nanaimo and Duncan do — usually with $5 million of liability insurance naming the municipality.

Changes are coming

  • Victoria patio licence fees for 2027 — takes effect 1 January 2027. What changes
  • Victoria’s free building, sign and development permits end — takes effect 29 January 2027. What changes
Who issues it
Your municipality
Cost
Signs from free (Sidney) to $250 (Colwood); patios from $50 to apply plus a yearly rate — see the tables on this page.
Forms and pages

Do you need it?

You need it if

  • You put up an exterior sign — most municipalities require a permit; Sidney is the exception.
  • You want tables on a public sidewalk or in parking spaces in front of your business.

You don’t need it if

  • Your sign is a small window sign — most municipalities exempt them.
  • Your patio is entirely on your own private property — that is a ZoningThe municipal rules that say what each property may be used for. A café, a bakery or a food processor needs a property zoned for that use before any permit is worth applying for — check it before you sign a lease.All terms in the glossary and building question, not a sidewalk licence.
Where this comes from

Sources

How to get it

  1. 1

    Get your business licence first

    A sidewalk patio licence is tied to an open, licensed restaurant or café — Langford and Victoria require the licence first.

  2. 2

    Check whether your municipality has a patio program at all

    Saanich, Esquimalt, Colwood, North Cowichan and Campbell River publish none (table below).

  3. 3

    Arrange liability insurance naming the municipality

    Usually $5 million, with the municipality as an additional insured.

  4. 4

    Apply, and keep the walkway clear

    Patios must leave a clear path for pedestrians — 1.8 m in Langford, 1.2 m in Duncan.

  5. 5

    For signs, apply with a drawing

    Few municipalities publish a processing time: Colwood says 5–7 business days, Campbell River a couple of weeks. In Esquimalt, a commercial sign may need a development permit first.

Where this comes from

Sources

Sidewalk patios, town by town

Sidewalk patio programs by municipality
MunicipalityProgram and cost
VictoriaYearly patio licence after a site meeting: $100 to apply, then $1.96–$5.78 per sq ft a year ($0.98–$2.89 for six months); $5 million insurance.
LangfordPatio Permit, up to three years: $50 plus a road damage deposit; $5 million insurance; inspected yearly.
Oak BayPatio Licence, yearly or April–October: $500 to apply, then $4 per sq ft a year ($2 seasonal) on the sidewalk; $5 million insurance.
SidneyPatio licence: $50 to apply; a simple patio $100 a year ($50 seasonal), larger ones by the square foot; $5 million insurance.
CourtenayDowntown, April 1 to October 31: $125 a season, plus $5 per m² of sidewalk and $100 per parking stall; $5 million insurance.
NanaimoAn encroachment agreement with an annual fee; the only published rate dates from 1987 and the City says it must be updated — ask Real Estate.
DuncanA sidewalk café permit for a licensed café or restaurant: up to 3.7 m² per frontage, tables and chairs only; the fee isn’t published.
Saanich, Esquimalt, Colwood, North Cowichan, Campbell RiverNo sidewalk patio program published.
Where this comes from

Sources

Sign permit fees, town by town

Sign permit fees by municipality
MunicipalityFee
Victoria$100 a sign (waived until late January 2027)
Saanich$200 a sign
Langford$100 plus $70 a sign
Esquimalt$30 up to 2 m², $50 above; a development permit may be needed instead
Oak Bay$150 a sign
Colwood$250 an application
SidneyNo sign permit
Nanaimo$5 per m² ($40 minimum, $150 maximum a sign)
Duncan$50 permanent, $25 temporary
North Cowichan$150 plus 1% of the construction value
Courtenay$100
Campbell River$100 for a fascia or freestanding sign; less for small ones
Where this comes from

Sources

Once you have it

  • Patio licences are renewed every year or season, with fresh proof of insurance.
  • A sign put up without a permit typically costs double.
Where this comes from

Sources

What comes next

Municipal business licenceYour municipality

Which businesses need it

Restaurants & cafésFor a patio or signageBakeriesFor a patio or signageBreweries, wineries, cideries & distilleriesFor a patio or signageGrocers & specialty food shopsFor a patio or signageButchers, delis & fishmongersFor a patio or signage

The rules behind this page

Last checked 9 October 2026. We check this guide regularly against Island Health, provincial and municipal sources, but regulations and laws change often and we can’t guarantee it is complete or current. Confirm with Island Health and your municipality before you apply, build or sell.

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