The short answer
Often, yes. A sign on a business in Ireland is exempt from planning permission only if it meets every condition in Class 1 of Schedule 2, Part 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001. The condition that catches most shop signs is letter height: no letter may be taller than 300 mm and no logo taller than 600 mm. Most built-up fascia letters are bigger than that, so most new shopfront signs need permission.
When a shop sign is exempt
Class 1 covers signs on business premises that are wholly about the business, goods or services there. To be exempt, a sign must meet all of these:
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Signs on the front of the building | 0.3 m² for every metre of frontage, never more than 5 m² in total |
| Signs on any other face | 1.2 m² in total, of which no more than 0.3 m² illuminated |
| Freestanding signs | 3 m² in total, no more than 1.5 m² illuminated, no part higher than 2.5 m |
| Height on a building | No part more than 4 m above ground level |
| Letters and logos | No letter taller than 0.3 m, no logo, symbol or emblem taller than 0.6 m |
| Projecting over a public road | At least 2 m above the road, no more than 1 m out |
| Round projecting signs | No more than 1 m across |
| Other projecting signs | 1.2 m² in total, no face larger than 0.4 m² |
| Windows and doors | The sign must not cover any part of a window or door |
Source: Planning and Development Regulations 2001, Schedule 2, Part 2, Class 1, conditions 1 to 9.
A worked example
A shop with a 6 m wide front can have up to 1.8 m² of signs on that front (6 x 0.3) and stay exempt. A fascia sign 4 m long and 0.6 m deep is 2.4 m², which is over the limit. So is any sign with 400 mm letters, however small the panel. Either one needs planning permission.
Window signs and door plates
Class 2 lets you show lit signs as part of a window display, and signs fixed to the inside of the glass, as long as they cover no more than a quarter of that window. Class 5 allows one plate at the entrance of up to 0.3 m² for each business or professional there.
When the exemption never applies
- Protected structures. A sign structure on a protected structure, or a proposed one, is not exempt (apart from door plates and a few other small classes).
- Architectural conservation areas. A sign on the outside of a building in an ACA is not exempt if it would materially affect the character of the area. Much of Cork city centre is in one.
- Traffic safety. No sign is exempt if it would endanger public safety by causing a traffic hazard or obstructing road users.
- Protected views and special amenity areas. Signs that interfere with a view the development plan protects, or Class 1 signs in a special amenity area, lose the exemption.
Source: Articles 6(2) and 9 of the same Regulations.
Which council to ask in Cork
Since the 2019 boundary change, Cork City Council covers the city and the former county areas next to it, including Ballincollig, Douglas, Rochestown, Glanmire, Blarney and Tower. Cork County Council covers the rest of the county, including Carrigaline, Midleton, Cobh, Mallow, Bandon, Kinsale and Macroom. Both publish the record of protected structures and the ACA maps in their development plans.
If you are not sure
Ask the council for a Section 5 declaration. It is the formal way to find out whether a particular sign is exempted development, and it is cheaper and faster than a full planning application. If you need permission, the application usually includes drawings of the sign and a photo of how it will look on the building.
What we do for you
We measure the frontage, draw the sign to scale with letter heights marked, and make a photo mock-up of it on your building. That is usually what the council asks to see, whether for a Section 5 declaration or a full application. We then build the sign to the approved drawing.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. It reflects the Regulations as published in S.I. No. 600 of 2001. Planning law is being updated under the Planning and Development Act 2024, so check with your council before you order a sign.