Illuminated Signs & LED Neon Signs in Québec City

In Québec City the Ville de Québec regulates signs, and the rules depend on the sector where your business is located. According to the City:

• Certificate of authorization: required to build, install, modify, repair, replace or demolish a sign, whether on a building or on the ground. The City's permit assistant (Assistant-permis) lists the documents and standards for your address.
• Sector types: the standards depend on the sector (nine types). For example, in a Type 1 (general) sector, a sign on a building for a non-residential use is limited to 1 m² per sign and 2 m² for the building, and may be lit by projection, back-lighting or video-negative. In a Type 2 (heritage) sector, all signs together are limited to 0.4 m² per metre of wall width and 4 m² for the facade, lighting is by projection or back-lighting, and flat signs are made of wood or metal with raised or painted lettering or logo.
• Projecting signs: in both of these sector types a projecting sign is perpendicular to the building, projects at most 1.5 m, hangs between 3 m and 5 m above the ground and is at most 0.2 m thick. In the Type 2 sector it is limited to 1 m².
• Window signs: a non-digital sign installed in the window, or within one metre of it, may cover up to 25% of the window.
• Wiring and prohibited signs: no electrical wires may be visible on a building sign. Flashing or variable-message signs and inflatable signs are prohibited, and beach flags are strictly prohibited in Québec City.
• Heritage areas: in sectors under the Commission d'urbanisme et de conservation de Québec (CUCQ), permits and certificates are issued with the Commission's approval; processing can take 4 to 8 weeks. For signs the City lists photos of the building, a description of materials, colours, dimensions and locations, and scale drawings (an overall signage plan and an elevation of each face of the sign). In declared heritage sites such as the Site patrimonial du Vieux-Québec, no permit or certificate can be issued without the authorization of the Québec Ministry of Culture and Communications.

These figures are examples from two of the nine sector types. Check your address in the Assistant-permis, or call the City's Info-commerçants line, before you finalise a design.

Language of the sign (Charter of the French Language). The City's information sheets state that the applicant is responsible for complying with the Charter. According to the OQLF:

• Public signs and commercial advertising must be in French. Another language may be added as long as every message is also in French and French is clearly predominant in the same visual field.
• Clearly predominant means the French text takes up at least twice as much space as the text in another language, with visibility and legibility at least equal, including lighting. Opening hours, phone numbers, addresses, numbers and articles do not count towards French predominance.
• Since June 1, 2025, a business name with a non-French distinctive part, or a recognized trade-mark that is wholly or partly in another language, must be accompanied by French terms (a generic term, a descriptor or a slogan) when it is visible from outside the premises.
• A trade-mark may appear only in another language if no French version has been registered with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office; if a French version is registered, it must be displayed.
• Exceptions to French predominance: displays inside the premises that cannot be seen from outside, displays on a vehicle, and displays on a free-standing structure or pylon sign carrying more than two business names or trade-marks. The business name must still be accompanied by a French generic term.

Sources: Ville de Québec – signs and signage, Ville de Québec – information sheets, sheet 3-1A (Type 1), sheet 3-2 (Type 2), Ville de Québec – CUCQ sectors, OQLF – display of trade-marks and business names, as of October 2026. This is not legal advice – the local authority makes the final decision.

The City asks for photos of your building and scale drawings showing the sign, its materials, colours, dimensions and location. With your free design preview you get:

• your sign shown on a photo of your storefront
• dimensions, materials and light colour
• which elements light up and which are printed

If your business name needs French wording, tell us and we will show it in the preview. You or your sign installer submit the application.

• Indoor LED neon signs come with fixings and a plug-in power supply – hang it up and plug it in, step by step in our installation guide.
• Outdoor signs, light boxes and hard-wired signs should be connected by a qualified electrician, and the wiring must not be visible on the building. We recommend a local electrician or sign installer.

Tell us where the sign will go and we will tell you what you need for installation.

• LED neon signs – window signs for bars, cafés and salons in Saint-Roch and Saint-Jean-Baptiste
• Back-lit acrylic letters – a discreet halo for older buildings in Vieux-Québec, subject to the sector rules
• Channel letters – illuminated letters for the storefront
• Projecting signs – visible along pedestrian streets, within the limits of your sector

All sign types at a glance

1. Send your logo, sketch or text – ideally with a photo of your storefront
2. Receive your free digital design preview
3. After your approval, production takes about 2–3 weeks
4. Insured delivery to your address in Québec City

Every sign is dimmable and comes with a remote control and a 24-month warranty. Shipping is included – nothing extra to pay when it arrives.

Do I need a permit for an illuminated sign in Québec City?
Yes. A certificate of authorization from the Ville de Québec is required to install, modify or replace a sign, and the standards depend on your sector.

Does my sign have to be in French?
Public signs must be in French. Another language is allowed if French is clearly predominant: at least twice the space, with equal visibility and lighting. A business name with a non-French distinctive part, seen from outside, needs French terms alongside it, according to the OQLF.

What if my building is in Vieux-Québec?
In declared heritage sites such as the Site patrimonial du Vieux-Québec, no permit or certificate can be issued without the authorization of the Québec Ministry of Culture and Communications, and the CUCQ reviews the request. Processing can take 4 to 8 weeks.

Do you install signs in Québec City?
Indoor LED neon signs come with fixings and a plug-in power supply, so you can hang them yourself. For outdoor signs, light boxes and hard-wired signs we recommend a local electrician or sign installer.

Can I see the sign on my storefront before ordering?
Yes. Send us a photo of your storefront and we will show you a free design preview with your sign in place.