Signboard License Fee Malaysia: Rates by Council (2026)

The question behind this page

How much will my council charge every year for the signboard above my shop, and can I work it out before I order the sign?

Key Takeaways

• Most councils charge by square metre: a base fee for the first band, then a small charge for each extra square metre or part of one.
• For a typical 20 ft x 3 ft shopfront sign, published rates work out to roughly RM60 to RM300 a year.
• A lit sign is not always dearer. DBKL, MBSJ, MBPP and MBI list a lower rate for illuminated signs; MBPJ and MPAJ charge more.
• Expect extras: a deposit (MBPJ takes one equal to the fee, MBI lists RM500) and the RM30 DBP language check.
• Under the MBSJ and MPAJ by-laws, an unlicensed sign can draw a compound of up to RM1,000.
• MBSA, MPKj, MPS and MPSepang do not publish rates online, so ask the council before fixing the size.

Disclaimer: General information, not legal advice. Every rate here comes from the council's own website, by-law or form, and some of those documents are several years old. Councils can amend fees at any time, so confirm the current figure with your council (PBT) before you commit to a sign size. Last checked October 2026.

The Short Answer

There is no national signboard license fee in Malaysia. Each local council sets its own, usually in the schedule (jadual) of its Advertisement By-laws (Undang-Undang Kecil Iklan). Almost all of them charge by the sign's area in square metres, with separate rates for illuminated (bercahaya) and non-illuminated (tidak bercahaya) signs.

For an ordinary shopfront fascia the council fee is modest, roughly RM60 to RM300 a year on published rates. The surprises are usually the deposit, the rounding up of every part square metre, and the fact that each sign is charged separately. For the application steps, see our complete signboard licence guide for Malaysia. This page is about the money.

Signboard License Fee by Council (2026)

Each figure comes from the council's own document, linked in the last column. "Per m²" means per square metre or part of one.

Council	How it is charged	Published annual rates	Deposit / extras	Renewal	Source
DBKL (KL)	First m², then per extra m²; lit vs unlit	Lit: RM100 + RM15 per extra m². Unlit: RM200 + RM20 per extra m²	None listed for premise signs	Fees divided by 12 for a monthly figure	DBKL licensing page
MBPJ (Petaling Jaya)	Flat to 8 m², then per extra m²; own rate for frameless letters	Unlit: RM100 + RM10. Lit: RM150 + RM15. Letters/logo: unlit RM200 + RM20, lit RM150 + RM15	One-off deposit equal to the fee, refundable	Annual; applied with the premise licence	MBPJ schedule, Jun 2021
MBSJ (Subang Jaya)	Flat to 8 m², then per extra m²	Unlit: RM90 + RM9. Lit: RM60 + RM6 (as printed)	Set by council, max RM10,000	Up to 3 years, renewable	UUK Iklan MBSJ 2007
MPAJ (Ampang Jaya)	Flat to 5 m², then per extra m²	Unlit: RM100 + RM10. Lit: RM150 + RM15 (English text puts the lit band at 8 m²). Letters/logo to 8 m²: unlit RM150, lit RM100	Set by council	Up to 3 years, renewable	MPAJ by-laws 2007
MBDK (Klang)	Flat to 8 m², then per extra m²	RM90 + RM9 per extra m² (no lit/unlit split shown)	Deposit RM100	2024 renewals extended to 31 Jan 2025	MBDK fee form, 2024
MBPP (Penang Island)	First m² (unlit) or first 2 m² (lit), then per extra m²; projecting signs per face	Unlit: RM70 + RM7. Lit: RM50 + RM5. Projecting: unlit RM60 + RM40, lit RM50 + RM20 (first 2 m²)	Not stated	Per year	UUK Iklan MPPP 2000
MBI (Ipoh)	First m², then per extra m²	Unlit: RM80 + RM10. Lit: RM60 + RM10	Deposit RM500	Per year	MBI form, 2017
MBSA (Shah Alam)	Part of the composite licence	Not published online, ask the council	Not published	Not published	MBSA checklist, 2025
MPKj (Kajang)	Not published	Not published online, ask the council	Not published	Renew one month before expiry	MPKj guideline
MPS (Selayang) and MPSepang	Not published	Not published online, ask the council	Not published	Not published	None found

The documents are old. MBPP's schedule dates from 2000 and MBI's form from 2017, so treat each figure as the best published number, then confirm.

How Councils Measure Your Sign

Before any rate means anything, you need the area the council will bill. The by-laws agree on most of it:

• The whole display counts. MBSJ measures the full displayed area. MBPP also counts the frame or support surface.
• Part of a square metre is a full one. The schedules say "setiap satu meter persegi atau sebahagiannya", so 6.1 m² is billed as 7 m².
• Frameless letters are measured by the letters. MBPJ, MBSJ and MPAJ measure lettering or a logo on a wall by the actual size of the letters.
• Two-sided projecting signs are measured per face. MBSJ, MPAJ and MBPP say so explicitly.

Measure the finished sign, not the opening. Our site measurement checklist shows how to record the space, and the signboard size guide covers each council's size limits.

Worked Example: A 20 ft x 3 ft Shopfront Sign

A 20 ft x 3 ft fascia is 6.096 m x 0.914 m = 5.57 m², billed as 6 m².

• DBKL, lit: RM100 for the first m² + 5 x RM15 = RM175. Unlit: RM200 + 5 x RM20 = RM300.
• MBPJ: 6 m² sits inside the 8 m² band, so RM100 unlit or RM150 lit, plus a first-year deposit equal to the fee.
• MBPP, lit: RM50 for the first 2 m² + 4 x RM5 = RM70. Unlit: RM70 + 5 x RM7 = RM105.

Council	Unlit, per year	Lit, per year
DBKL	RM300	RM175
MBPJ	RM100	RM150
MBSJ	RM90	RM60
MPAJ	RM110	RM165 (RM150 on the English text)
MBDK	RM90 (single rate)
MBPP	RM105	RM70
MBI	RM130	RM110

These are licence fees only, before the deposit, the DBP check and any premise licence.

What Drives the Fee

Size

Area is the main lever. Where the first band is 8 m² (MBPJ, MBSJ, MBDK), a 20 ft x 4 ft sign (7.43 m², billed as 8) costs the same as a 20 ft x 3 ft one. In DBKL, every extra square metre adds RM15 or RM20.

Lighting

This is where councils disagree most. DBKL, MBSJ, MBPP and MBI list a lower rate for illuminated signs; MBPJ and MPAJ do the opposite. Check both rates before assuming a lightbox costs more to license.

Sign type

Projecting signs, frameless letters and sky signs have their own lines. MBPJ charges unlit frameless letters RM200 up to 8 m², double its plain-panel rate. MBPP's unlit projecting rate adds RM40 per extra square metre.

Location and language

Your council sets the whole structure, so a USJ shop under MBSJ and a Bangsar shop under DBKL pay very different amounts for the same sign. Language does not change the fee, but it causes delays: MBPJ wants Bahasa Malaysia letters 30% larger than other languages, and MBSA wants the business activity in Bahasa Malaysia, 5% larger than the company name and above it. See our signboard law guide.

Deposit, DBP and Agent Costs

• Deposit (cagaran): MBPJ takes a one-off deposit equal to the fee, refundable when the premises closes or moves and the sign comes down. MBI lists RM500, MBDK RM100, and MBSJ can set up to RM10,000.
• DBP check: DBP's Sah Bahasa portal lists RM30 per council for a business premise signboard and RM60 for outdoor advertisements.
• Agents and runners: fees are private and vary widely. Get a written quote that separates the agent's charge from the council fee.
• Premise licence: MBPJ only accepts a signboard application together with the premise licence, which has its own fee.

Penalties for a Sign With No Licence

The Advertisement By-laws of MBSJ, MPAJ and Klang all make it an offence to display an advertisement without a licence. Under the MBSJ and MPAJ by-laws:

• Compound: up to RM1,000 per offence.
• Court fine: up to RM2,000, or jail of up to one year, or both.
• Continuing offence: MBSJ adds up to RM200 a day after conviction.
• Removal: both by-laws give the council power to have an advertisement taken down.

Enforcement is real. In March 2026 The Star reported that MBDK issued 29 compounds of RM1,000 each under its Advertisement By-laws, mostly over the Bahasa Malaysia rule. One shop was also running without business and advertisement licences.

Renewal Timing

Most councils bill yearly, but the MBSJ and MPAJ by-laws allow a licence of up to three years, so ask whether a longer term is offered. Councils on a calendar year renew around year end: MBDK extended its 2024 deadline for business, industrial and advertisement licences to 31 January 2025, Selangor Journal reported. MPKj asks for renewal one month before expiry. DBKL notes its fees are divided into 12 months, which suggests a mid-year start pays for the months left; confirm with DBKL. A redesign usually means fresh approval. MBI, for example, has its own payment procedure for a change of signboard visual.

Ways to Keep the Fee Down

• Stay inside the first band: 8 m² in MBPJ, MBSJ and MBDK, 5 m² in MPAJ.
• Trim to a whole square metre: 6.1 m² pays for 7. A few centimetres off the height can drop a band.
• Compare lit and unlit rates: lit is cheaper in DBKL, MBSJ, MBPP and MBI.
• Skip the projecting sign if you can. It is charged on top of the fascia, face by face.
• Do not assume loose letters are cheaper. MBPJ charges them a higher rate.
• Use one main sign. Fees are per advertisement, so two signs means two fees every year.

None of this is worth a sign nobody can read. Size the lettering for your viewing distance first, then fit the area to the band.

Getting the Sign Made

Once you know the size your council will approve, UMAKE makes the sign to it, with the Bahasa Malaysia line laid out as the largest text. Everything is made in our Balakong, Selangor factory and shipped across Malaysia. WhatsApp your measurements and a shopfront photo to wa.me/60179290938 (Mon to Sat, 8am to 5pm).

LED parts carry a one-year warranty; everything else is covered for manufacturing defects. The licence itself is applied for by the business.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the signboard license fee in Malaysia?

It depends on your council, the sign's area and whether it is lit. On published rates, a 20 ft x 3 ft shopfront sign costs roughly RM60 to RM300 a year, plus any deposit and the RM30 DBP check.

How much is the DBKL signboard license fee?

DBKL lists RM100 for the first square metre plus RM15 per extra square metre for a lit premise sign, and RM200 plus RM20 for an unlit one. A 20 ft x 3 ft sign works out to RM175 lit or RM300 unlit.

Is an illuminated signboard more expensive to license?

Not always. DBKL, MBSJ, MBPP and MBI list a lower rate for illuminated signs. MBPJ and MPAJ charge more for them.

How do councils measure the sign area?

By the whole displayed area in square metres, with any part of a square metre counted as a full one. Frameless letters are measured by the letters, and each face of a two-sided projecting sign is measured separately.

Do I have to pay a deposit?

Often. MBPJ charges a one-off deposit equal to the fee, MBI lists RM500, MBDK RM100, and MBSJ can set up to RM10,000.

What is the penalty for a signboard without a licence?

Under the MBSJ and MPAJ by-laws, a compound of up to RM1,000, or if prosecuted a fine of up to RM2,000, jail of up to a year, or both.

How often do I renew a signboard licence?

Usually every year, often around the end of the calendar year. The MBSJ and MPAJ by-laws allow licences of up to three years.

Does the DBP language check cost money?

Yes. DBP's Sah Bahasa portal lists RM30 per council for a business premise signboard and RM60 for outdoor advertisements.