Local Advertising Policy (RLP)

Verified 03 January 2024 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister), Ministry of city planning

The Local Advertising Policy (RLP) allows local adaptation of certain points of the national rules applicable to advertisements, signs and preshipments.

What's that?

Local Advertising Policy (PLR) is a city planning document drawn up on the initiative of mayor and approved by the municipal council.

The local advertising regulations are intended to regulate the location and use of signs, pre-signs and outside advertising in a commune.

It may also be prepared at inter-municipal level by a EPCI: titleContent for consistency and harmonization of practices within the same territory. In this case, this is referred to as local intercommunal advertising regulations (RLPi).

What's the point?

Local advertising regulations adjusts national regulations in relation to local issues (e.g. reconciling economic dynamism with quality of life).

Thus, the Regulation may apply, in the areas it defines, a more restrictive regulation the requirements of national regulations, for example:

  • Limit the number and format of wall advertising devices
  • Ban ground-sealed ads and limit digital devices
  • Prohibit wall advertising in protected woodland and natural areas listed in the local city planning plan (PLU). Under national regulations, only ground-sealed devices are prohibited in these spaces.

The local advertising regulations may also provide for a more flexible regulation, for example:

  • Waiving the ban on advertising around historic monuments, heritage sites and nature reserves
  • Derogating from the prohibition on advertising outside built-up areas by allowing it in the immediate vicinity of exclusive shopping centers of any dwelling.

Please note

The powers relating to advertising policing (authorizations, formal notice, etc.) are exercised by the prefect. However, if there is local advertising rules, those powers shall be exercised by the mayor on behalf of the municipality.

Local Advertising Policy (PLR) includes next items :

  • Presentation Report : it is based on a diagnosis in order to define the guidelines and objectives of the municipality or theEPCI: titleContent with regard to external advertising, in particular density and harmonization. The report shall explain the choices made in the light of those guidelines and objectives.
  • Regulatory Party : it adapts national regulations to local conditions (e.g. places where advertising is permitted or prohibited). It may provide for more restrictive rules, in particular as regards illuminated advertisements and illuminated signs.
  • Annexes : they include, in particular, the graphic documents delimiting the perimeter of the agglomeration and the areas concerned by the Regulation.

This Regulation shall be annexed to the local city planning plan (PLU) of the commune, if it exists.

The graphic documents annexed to the local advertising regulations (RLP) must identify, throughout the territory of the municipality or intercommunality, the zones or perimeters concerned by the Regulation.

The Regulation must also show the limits of the built up area fixed by the mayor.

FYI  

When a new local advertising regulation comes into force, all existing devices (advertisements, signs, pre-signs) must be brought into conformity in a two-year period as from this entry into force.

When adopted, the local advertising regulations must be annexed to the local city planning plan (PLU) and be displayed for 1 month in town hall or at the headquarters of theEPCI: titleContent competent.

Thereafter, the regulation must be made available to the public on the website of the municipality (where this site exists) or in town hall.

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