Business Advertising: Signage, Boards, and Displays

Hey there
I’m honestly not sure which sub this belongs in, so if I’m totally out of line, admins, please just move this to the right spot 😉

So, I just started my own little business in a ground-floor unit of an apartment building. I was thinking about putting up a sign or a small board on my terrace since it overlooks the street, but I have no clue who actually handles the permits for stuff like that.
I’ve been Googling it, and it’s kind of a mess... I’m seeing things about contacting the local city council, needing to get permission from all the neighbors in the building, and apparently having to pay some kind of fee to the City of Washington, D.C. just to hang a sign on a fence or a wall.

I’m feeling pretty lost with all these hoops to jump through, so if anyone here has actually dealt with this before or maybe knows the drill, I’d really appreciate the help 🙂
Thanks!!

In case anyone needs the specs for the sign itself... it would be maybe 2 meters max, nothing lit up, and about 40-50cm high.

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So, you're paying rent for a space that’s essentially serving as your billboard—and your business is officially registered there? If that's the case, I don't see why you'd owe anyone an extra dime. Maybe have a quick chat with your landlord about their vision, but if they cleared you to run a business at that address, a sign shouldn't be an issue.
I work in digital printing and signage myself, and honestly, I've never had a single client mention needing some special permission just to exist.

Thanks for getting back to me... I actually went ahead and checked on this today. It’s not even an issue with my landlord or anything, it’s just that the HOA rep at the building where I rented my space is stuck on this weird idea that I can just hang a sign on the exterior. He keeps insisting I have to deal with City Hall and pay all these random permit fees to the city... which turns out to be total nonsense.I mean, if I stick a sign in the grass out front, sure, I probably have to pay something because it's common area, but if I mount it right on my own balcony, it shouldn't be anyone's business. Honestly, the guy just doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.

Anyway, if you guys deal with this stuff professionally, could you maybe DM me a price list? I'm trying to gather some quotes and see what's out there.🙂

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