Sign permits
Porirua City has a Signs Bylaw and a list of approved signage sites for 2025 that provides all the information about when, where and how to place your signs over the election period. The purpose of our signs bylaw is to ensure your signs are visible to the community, there is fair placement of signs and there is equitable exposure of everyone’s signs.
All signage for elections requires an approved permit by our Bylaws Team. You can apply for a permit to place election signs by completing the application form and emailing to [email protected].
The form submitted must match the sign placed.
Example sign
The maximum permitted surface area of each sign is 3m2 (approximately 1700mm x 1700mm) and placed a maximum of 1800mm from ground level.
Signs in public locations must be single-sided. V-shaped, double-sided signs or signs that block others are not permitted.
Signs in public areas can only be installed on the approved list of public sites. A list sites can be found here.
Pāuatahanui site locations: Papakōwhai, Paremata and Whitby
Onepoto site locations: Ascot Park, Cannons Creek, Kenepuru, Rānui, Tītahi Bay and Waitangirua
Signs must not be displayed on or connected to a vehicle that is parked on a road or a public place, if the principal function of the vehicle is to display advertising for local elections.
Vehicle includes: car, truck, bus, van, tractor, trailer, bicycle, motorcycle and any other device similar in appearance or description.
Sign stakes must be wooden. Metal waratahs are not permitted.
Signs and other advertising materials can be displayed from 12 midnight Saturday 9 August 2025 and must be removed by 11:59 pm Friday 10 October 2025.
If you wish to place signs on Waka Kotahi | New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) land, you must comply with the New Zealand Transport Agency (Signs on State Highways) Bylaw 2010 and the proposed sign be approved by Waka Kotahi | NZTA.
Consent can be obtained by emailing [email protected].
Signs may be placed on private property on a case-by-case basis based on Porirua City's District Plan.
Signs must to be placed at least 50m away from an intersection.
We can help check your proposed sign locations. Speak to our Bylaws Team about placement recommendations when you apply.
Breaches
Any unauthorised signs or signs that do not match the description on the application form need to be rectified following a request within 48 hours or be removed if not rectified within an approved timeframe.
Removed signs will be stored at a Council facility and a $50.00 fee will be charged for the return of each sign (excluding first occasion).
We aim not to damage or destroy your sign in its removal process.
Authorisation statements
All election material (including signs, hoardings and any other advertisements) must show an authorisation statement with one of the following:
- A residential or business address
- An email address
- A PO box number
- A phone number
- A link to a page on an Internet site
Any social media profiles used for campaigning purposes should also feature an authorisation statement.
Complaints about election signage
If you have a complaint about the placement of a sign, or you have noticed a sign has been damaged or destroyed, please contact via email our Bylaws Team.
If you have a complaint about the content of a sign, you can lodge a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on their website.
The ASA will consider complaints if they consider it to be in breach of at least one of the following principles from the Advertising Standards Code:
- Social Responsibility: Advertisements must be prepared and placed with a due sense of social responsibility to consumers and to society.
- Decency and Offensiveness: Advertisements must not contain anything indecent, or exploitative, or degrading, or likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence, or give rise to hostility, contempt, abuse or ridicule.
- Truthful Presentation: Advertisements must not use tests, surveys, research results or quotations from technical and scientific literature in a manner which is misleading or deceptive.
- Advocacy Advertising: Advocacy advertising must clearly state the identity and position of the advertiser. Opinions in support of the advertiser’s position must be clearly distinguishable from factual information. Factual information must be able to be substantiated.
