Permit to put up a billboard in Colombia

In Colombia, Law 140 of 1994 regulates the issue of visual outdoor advertising in the national territory. Under this law, visual outdoor advertising is understood to mean: “the mass media intended to inform or attract the attention of the public through visual elements such as legends, inscriptions, drawings, photographs, signs or similar, visible from the roads of public use or domain, whether pedestrian or vehicular, terrestrial, fluvial, maritime or aerial.”

Outdoor visual advertising must be registered within 3 business days after it is placed. This procedure must be carried out before the mayor of the respective municipality, district or indigenous territory or before the authority in which is delegated such a function as these standards are developed in a more more strict in each district or municipality. However, the following information must always be provided in writing:

Name of the advertisement, along with its address, identity document, Nit, and other data necessary for its location.
Name of the owner of the property where the advertisement is located, together with his address, identity document, Nit, telephone number and other data for its location.
Illustration or photographs of the Visual Outdoor Advertising and transcription of the texts appearing therein. The owner of the Visual Outdoor Advertising must also register the modifications that are subsequently introduced.

Failure to register or advertising that does not comply with the terms indicated may result in fines, which are determined by the municipal and district authorities and the indigenous territories.

In the case of Medellín

The required documents are:

Letter of application which must contain the following information:
- Name or company name of the applicant for registration of visual outdoor advertising, with its address, identity document number and/or NIT, telephone numbers, e-mail and other data necessary for its location.
- Exact address of the property or land where the outdoor visual advertising is located.
- Name of the holder of the rights over the property where the outdoor visual advertising will be located or installed, with address, ID card and/or NIT number, telephone numbers, e-mail and other data for its location.
- Name and/or company name of the advertiser and/or marketer of the visual outdoor advertising, with its address, identity document number and/or NIT, telephone numbers, e-mail and other data necessary for its location).
Photocopy of identity card.
Copy of the Authorization or contract signed between the applicant of the visual outdoor advertising and the holders of the rights over the property where the visual outdoor advertising will be installed.
Illustration or photographs of the visual outdoor advertising and transcription of the texts that will appear on it, as well as its measurements, in case such information is available.
Copy of the extra-contractual civil liability policy covering contingencies and damages that may be caused by the installed elements, which must be kept in force while the outdoor visual advertising is installed. The insured value of the policy shall not be less than five hundred minimum legal monthly salaries in force (500 SMLMV).
Technical report on foundations and resistance issued by a duly registered Civil Engineer, in accordance with the pertinent regulations).

In the case of Bogotá

Applications for registration of outdoor visual advertising shall be submitted in the forms established by the District Secretariat of the Environment on its website, which require the following information:

Type of advertising and its location.
Identification of the advertiser, of the owner of the element or structure on which the advertisement is placed and of the owner of the property or vehicle on which the outdoor visual advertising will be installed.
Illustration or photographs of the visual outdoor advertising and transcription of the text appearing therein.
Type of application indicating whether it is a new advertising registration, update, transfer or extension of registration. In the case of an update or extension, the number and date of the current registration shall be indicated.
Duration of the event for which registration of outdoor visual advertising in banners and banners is requested.
Indicate whether the advertisement is illuminated and how it is illuminated, as established in Article 5 (c) and Article 13 of Decree 959 of 2000.
Indicate whether the outdoor visual advertising element has been registered with the District Secretariat of the Environment, the number and date of issue and the file number if it has one.

In conclusion

The permits and requirements necessary to place a billboard in Colombia vary depending on the location of the billboard, so it is important to be informed about the specific regulations of the territory in which you intend to make use of public space for advertising.