No Ads On Sidewalks, Buildings' Roofs: Mumbai Civic Body Issues Fresh Advertisement Guidelines

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday issued ‘Advertisement Guidelines-2025’. Through the new guidelines, Mumbai’s civic body has amended the previously announced ‘Advertisement Guidelines-2008’ and included some new changes. These guidelines are aimed at governing the display of outdoor advertisements. The BMC is urging advertisers, advertising agencies, and all related parties to adhere strictly to these new regulations.

“To regulate advertisements within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation limits, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has issued the ‘Advertisement Guidelines-2025’. These guidelines, effective from 27th November 2025, are available on the Municipal Corporation’s website,” BMC said.

According to the 2025

guidelines, advertisement boards within BMC limits must not exceed 40 X 40 feet in size. Additionally, new permissions will not be granted for advertisements on sidewalks and building rooftops. Digital advertisement boards, including digital hoardings, must maintain a luminance ratio no higher than 3:1, and flickering advertisements are prohibited.

Furthermore, LED advertisements are permitted in locations such as malls, multiplexes, shopping complexes, commercial buildings, and petrol pumps. Commercial and non-commercial advertisements can also be displayed on the fences of buildings under construction or repair, as well as on the exterior of the building.

In a first, the BMC guidelines allow various new hoarding formats, including single and back-to-back hoardings, as well as ‘V’ and ‘L’ shaped hoardings. Triangular (tri vision), square (square vision), pentagon (pentagon vision), and hexagonal (hexagon vision) hoardings are also permitted, subject to approval from the traffic police.

The BMC’s Licensing Department is tasked with granting permissions for advertisements and enforcing actions against unauthorized ads. Under Section 328/328A of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, the regulation of advertisements falls within BMC’s purview.

In an official statement, BMC said the guidelines are based on the recommendations of the committee led by former Justice Dilip Bhosale, as well as public objections and suggestions.