In Pune, putting up a banner, flex or hoarding where the public can see it generally needs permission from the civic body: the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) inside PMC limits, or the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) in PCMC limits. Unauthorised flex is removed, and the people responsible can be fined or face a police case. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with your ward office before printing.
This is a general guide written by a printer, not legal advice. It sets out what is publicly reported and what to ask, so that a banner you pay for does not get taken down the day after it goes up.
Who needs banner permission in Pune?
| Situation | Permission usually needed? | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Hoarding on a structure, roadside or rooftop | Yes | PMC Sky Signs Department / PCMC Sky Sign and Licence Department |
| Banner or flex on poles, footpaths, dividers, junctions, public walls | Yes | Ward office (PMC kshetriya karyalaya) or PCMC equivalent |
| Birthday, wedding, festival or felicitation banner on a public road | Yes | Ward office |
| Political banner or poster, especially during elections | Yes, plus election rules | Civic body and election authority |
| Shop name board on your own premises | Often regulated as a sky sign or licence; check | Ward office / Sky Signs Department |
| Banner inside a hall, home, office or private compound, not visible as public advertising | Usually not | Owner of the premises |
The question to ask yourself: will this be seen from a public road or placed on public or someone else’s property? If yes, assume permission is needed until the ward office tells you otherwise. Get the property owner’s written consent too, if it is not your building.
Where to apply
In PMC limits, outdoor advertising is handled by the Sky Signs Department, with action on the ground taken through the ward offices. In PCMC, the equivalent is the Sky Sign and Licence Department. Start at the ward office for your area: they can tell you whether your banner needs permission, what documents and fees apply, how long the permission is valid for, and whether the spot is allowed at all. Some locations, such as junctions, trees and heritage areas, may not be permitted.
We have not found an official, current fee schedule published online for small banners, so we do not quote one here. Ask the ward office for the current fee and keep the receipt.
What the law says about defacement
Maharashtra’s Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995 makes it an offence to deface property that is visible to the public, which includes putting up posters, banners or flex without permission. News reports of police complaints under this Act describe a penalty of a fine (reported as ₹2,000), imprisonment of up to three months, or both. Civic bodies in the state have also said that action can extend beyond the advertiser to property owners, printers and agencies, and that the cost of removal can be recovered.
PMC fines reported in the news
PMC’s fine for an illegal flex has long been reported as ₹1,000 per flex. In December 2025, Punekar News reported that PMC was raising this to between ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 per illegal display. Other reports since then still mention ₹1,000, so the current figure should be confirmed with PMC. Separately, ahead of the PMC elections, candidates were reported to need an NOC showing they had no unpaid flex fines before filing nominations.
Elections and the code of conduct
When a Model Code of Conduct is in force, political posters and banners need prior civic approval, and PMC has warned of criminal action for violations. In December 2025, PCMC reported removing thousands of unauthorised flexes, banners and hoardings in a single drive. If you are printing election banners, check both the civic and election rules first.
QR codes on authorised hoardings
According to a Punekar News report from April 2026, PMC’s Sky Signs Department directed that every authorised hoarding in PMC limits must display a QR code, in line with the Maharashtra government’s advertisement regulation rules of 9 May 2022. Scanning the code is meant to show the permission status, licence validity, renewal record and ownership. The report says the code goes in the lower right corner of the hoarding and that hoardings without a valid code would be treated as unauthorised, with the rule taking effect from late May 2026 (the article gives both 25 and 27 May).
If you are printing a hoarding for an authorised site, ask the hoarding owner or agency whether the QR code is part of the structure or must be included in your flex, and at what size and position. This applies to hoarding flex and builder site hoardings alike.
Shop boards and the Marathi rule
Separate from advertising permission, the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments law requires shops and establishments to show their name on the signboard in Marathi (Devanagari), with the Marathi lettering not smaller than lettering in other scripts. The Supreme Court in September 2023 declined to pause the rule while a challenge was heard. Plan your shop sign board layout with this in mind.
Checklist before you print an outdoor banner
- Confirm whether the spot is in PMC or PCMC limits (or under a gram panchayat or cantonment).
- Ask the ward office whether permission is needed, the fee, the documents and how long it is valid.
- Get the property owner’s written consent if it is not your property.
- Note the permitted size and position, and order the print to that size.
- For hoardings, check the QR code requirement with the hoarding owner.
- Keep the permission letter and receipt with you when the banner is put up.
- Plan the removal date; take the banner down when the permission ends.
- In monsoon, use proper eyelets, rope and wind slits so the banner stays safe.
Rules change, and they can differ by ward and by season (festivals and elections especially). Treat this page as a starting point and confirm with your ward office.
Once you know the permitted size, our banner size guide helps with layout, and you can request a quote for the print.