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Advertising Agency in San Francisco: What You Can Still Buy After the 2002 Sign Ban

Updated November 2026 · Written and maintained by the Progression Agency strategy team

Since March 5, 2002, San Francisco has barred new general advertising signs, so an advertising agency in San Francisco works from a fixed list of surfaces. This page is that list, written for software, AI and consumer brand marketers. It shows what exists, what the city and the transit agencies bar, who sells each surface, and how agency fees sit beside seller quotes. Older billboards, Muni, BART, street kiosks, arena signs and digital ads each get a row. Progression is based in New York and works with San Francisco advertisers remotely, with on-site sessions on request. The legal notes are general information, so ask counsel before you rely on them.

On this page · 12 sections
  1. March 5, 2002: the day San Francisco voters barred new billboards
  2. What an advertising agency in San Francisco can still buy: the surface ledger
  3. Billboards that predate the ban
  4. Muni: same system, two sellers
  5. BART: a nonpublic forum with its own content rules
  6. Kiosks, news racks and arena signs
  7. Ads no sign code touches: search, social and streaming
  8. Advertising agencies in San Francisco: two buys on the same ledger
  9. SF ad agency fees next to the sellers’ quotes
  10. San Francisco ad agencies: ask them to fill in this ledger
  11. Bay Area advertising agency or San Francisco specialist: where the ledger stops
  12. Related services and guides

The short answer New billboards are barred in San Francisco, so the media plan starts from a ledger of what is left to buy. The ledger below has ten rows, each with its status as the city’s and the agencies’ own pages read, who sells it, the creative rule to check and what you pay. Everything after it explains a row. Fees come near the end, with media quoted by the seller. The sign and privacy notes reflect the cited pages as of November 2026, so ask counsel what applies to your ad.

The sign material is San Francisco Planning’s General Advertising Sign Program page and its sign guide. The transit rules are the SFMTA’s advertising policy effective November 22, 2017, and BART’s 2025 content guidelines. Sellers are named only as the SFMTA and BART name them, with no recommendation. The freeway permit notes are Caltrans’s own general guideline. The privacy notes come from the California Privacy Protection Agency’s FAQ. Nothing here says that any ad complies with any rule.

March 5, 2002: the day San Francisco voters barred new billboards

San Francisco Planning’s General Advertising Sign Program page says 2002’s Proposition G, which passed with 78% of the vote, prohibited new general advertising signs throughout the city. In plain words, a general advertising sign is one that promotes something sold somewhere else.

Existing general advertising signs can still display new copy, Planning says. The city adopted monitoring and enforcement legislation in 2006, and Planning says its review of every sign led to the removal of nearly 600 illegal billboards. It keeps an inventory of every legal general advertising sign. For a media plan, the result is that outdoor here is a fixed inventory and not a new build.

78%: Proposition G. Planning says it passed with this share of the vote and barred new general advertising signs.
2002: March 5. The date Section 611 took effect, per Planning's page.
600: Illegal billboards removed. Planning says its review led to the removal of nearly this many.
$2,500: Top daily penalty. Penalties accrue daily and run from $100 to $2,500 a day by sign size, per Planning.

What an advertising agency in San Francisco can still buy: the surface ledger

An advertising agency in San Francisco, CA has to work from a fixed list of surfaces. The table lists ten, as of November 2026.

The surface ledger (media is quoted by the seller)
SurfaceStatusWho sells itCreative rule to checkYou pay
A new billboard on private propertyBarred since March 5, 2002, per PlanningNo oneNot availableNot applicable
An existing lawful general advertising signAllowed, and can show new copyThe sign company named on its placardThe placard must show company, permit number and dimensionsSeller quote
Muni buses, light rail, cable cars, historic trolleys and garagesAuthorized by the SFMTAIntersection, as the SFMTA listsThe SFMTA advertising policy and its required views lineSeller quote
Muni shelters and kiosksLimited signs under SFMTA contract are exempt from Article 6, per the sign guideClear Channel Outdoor, as the SFMTA listsThe same SFMTA policySeller quote
Market Street stationsAuthorized by the SFMTAClear Channel Outdoor, as the SFMTA listsThe same SFMTA policySeller quote
Central Subway stationsAuthorized by the SFMTAIntersection, as the SFMTA listsThe same SFMTA policySeller quote
BART stations and carsA nonpublic forum, per BART’s guidelinesOUTFRONT, as BART names itBART’s 2025 advertising content guidelinesSeller quote
Public service kiosks and fixed pedestal news racksLimited signs under Public Works contract are exempt, per the sign guideAsk Public Works who sells itThe terms of that contractSeller quote
Signs inside a stadium, open-air theater or arenaExempt when meant to be viewed by its patrons, per the sign guideThe venueThe venue’s own rulesVenue quote
Search, social and streamingNo sign code appliesThe platformPlatform policies and California opt-out rulesAgency fee line, see the fee table

An advertising agency in San Francisco should be able to fill in the last two columns for any row before it quotes. We name no firms.

Billboards that predate the ban

Outdoor advertising in San Francisco comes from signs that were lawfully in place before March 5, 2002. Because no new ones are approved, ask for the specific face and not a market. See outdoor advertising agency for cost and format.

What should the placard say before you sign?

Planning says Section 604.1 requires every general advertising sign to bear the name of the sign company that owns or operates it, the building permit number and the permitted dimensions, displayed on the face or edge and visible from the street. Compare what you are sold with what the placard says. Planning takes complaints about signs, and it keeps a sign map and an inventory of every legal general advertising sign.

A generic placard, drawn for this page (no real company)

1. Sign company name: [name of the company that owns or operates the sign]
2. Permit no.: [building permit number]
3. Dimensions: [permitted width and height]

Planning says the Planning Code requires all three on every general advertising sign, visible from the street.

Does a freeway face need a second look?

Planning says Section 604 requires a building permit from the City and County, independent of other permits such as electrical or California Department of Transportation permits. Caltrans’s outdoor advertising page lists permit requirements for a display next to an interstate or primary highway, as a general guideline that does not guarantee approval.

500 ft: Freeway spacing. Caltrans's general guideline: a display must be 500 feet from another on the same side of a freeway.
300 ft: Primary, unincorporated. For a primary highway that is not a freeway, in an unincorporated area.
100 ft: Primary, in a city. For a primary highway that is not a freeway, within an incorporated city.
1,000 ft: Electronic displays. An electronic changeable message center must also be this far from another.

The guideline also says a display needs written permission, a building permit, from the local government, and may not be adjacent to a landscaped freeway or a scenic highway. A seller of a highway-facing board should show both permits. We classify no segment of any highway, so ask counsel.

Muni: same system, two sellers

The SFMTA’s Advertise on Muni page lists Intersection for buses, light rail, cable cars, historic trolleys, parking garages, Forest Hill and the Central Subway stations, and Clear Channel Outdoor for bus shelters, SFMTA sales kiosks and the Market Street stations. The policy on the page is effective November 22, 2017, and every ad carries the required views line.

Who sells which Muni surface, as the SFMTA lists
Seller as listedSurfaces
IntersectionBuses, light rail, cable cars, historic trolleys, parking garages, Forest Hill station and the Central Subway stations (Chinatown Rose Pak, Union Square/Market Street, Yerba Buena/Moscone)
Clear Channel OutdoorBus shelters, SFMTA sales kiosks and the Market Street stations (Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, Civic Center/UN Plaza, Van Ness, Church, Castro)

Yerba Buena/Moscone is on the Central Subway list, which may matter to a software firm chasing convention visitors. That is our reasoning and carries no event dates or counts. A buy across the subway may need two contracts. Shelters can carry these ads because of the exception the sign guide describes. See transit advertising agency.

What copy will the SFMTA send back?

The policy bars political and public issue material, false or misleading material and commercial advertising of alcohol, among others. It also bars material that tends to disparage public transportation generally, so a car, ride or delivery brand cannot knock transit. The full list is on the SFMTA’s page.

Nonprofit space: ten weeks’ notice on Muni, paid only on BART

The SFMTA keeps a portion of vehicle advertising for announcements sponsored by a government entity or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and asks for at least ten weeks’ notice and finished artwork at least five weeks before launch. BART’s guidelines say it does not accept free public service announcements. A corporate foundation or nonprofit client should plan for both.

2017: SFMTA policy. The advertising policy is effective November 22, 2017.
10 wks: Muni public service notice. The SFMTA asks for at least ten weeks' notice on public service campaigns.
5 wks: Finished artwork. Due to SFMTA marketing at least five weeks before launch for those campaigns.
Paid: BART public service. BART's guidelines say it does not accept free public service announcements.

BART: a nonpublic forum with its own content rules

BART’s advertising page lists digital displays in Downtown Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose, station posters and interior cards, with sales managed by OUTFRONT. BART’s 2025 content guidelines describe its advertising space as a nonpublic forum with limited content neutral subject matter restrictions.

Stations and cars cross county lines, so a BART buy reaches beyond the city. BART permits commercial, governmental and paid public service content. It bars political and public issue content, religious content and false or misleading content, among others.

Can an ad argue with a bill?

The guidelines bar content supporting or opposing a law, ordinance, regulation, executive order or proposed legislation, and content supporting or opposing a strike, walkout, boycott or protest. An AI firm’s campaign against a proposed rule, or any brand’s boycott line, falls under that list as written. We say what the guideline says and not how BART would rule, so ask counsel.

When a pun has two meanings

The guidelines say that when an advertisement uses a double entendre or multiple interpretations, all meanings must comply. That is a real constraint on clever headlines. A rejected advertiser may appeal in writing on BART’s form.

Kiosks, news racks and arena signs

The sign guide lists exemptions from the sign rules: signs within a stadium, open-air theater or arena intended to be viewed by its patrons, limited general advertising signs on a transit shelter or associated kiosk under SFMTA contract, and on a public service kiosk or fixed pedestal news rack under Public Works contract. Read it at Planning’s sign guide.

A sign inside a venue reaches ticket holders, not the street, and the venue sets its price. Planning says complaints about signs in the public right-of-way go to Public Works. For sponsorship, see sports marketing agency.

Who sells a kiosk or a news rack?

The guide says they are under contract with Public Works. We do not know the seller, so ask Public Works.

Which surfaces do you want?Tell us which surfaces you want and what the campaign must say. You get a free proposal with the ledger filled in for your brand.

Get a free proposal

Ads no sign code touches: search, social and streaming

Sign law stops at the physical surface. A digital advertising agency in San Francisco can run paid search, LinkedIn for software buyers, Meta for consumer brands and streaming, and tie each to a physical row, such as a BART station buy paired with geotargeted search.

Digital advertising in San Francisco still has rules of its own. See PPC agency, LinkedIn ads agency, Facebook ads agency, programmatic advertising agency and digital advertising agency.

Retargeting and California’s opt-out

The California Privacy Protection Agency’s FAQ says consumers may opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, and that businesses must honor opt-out preference signals that meet certain requirements, such as the Global Privacy Control. Whether a given audience can be built is a question for counsel. See SEO company in San Francisco for the search side.

$26.625M: Revenue test. One CCPA threshold in the agency's FAQ, effective January 1, 2025.
100,000: Residents or households. Another threshold: buying, selling or sharing their personal information.
50%: Revenue from selling or sharing. The third threshold.
OOPS: Opt-out preference signal. Businesses must honor signals that meet requirements, such as the Global Privacy Control.

The thresholds are the FAQ’s own: gross annual revenue of $26.625 million or more, effective January 1, 2025, buying, selling or sharing the personal information of 100,000 or more residents or households, or deriving 50% or more of revenue from selling or sharing. We draw no conclusion about any reader’s business.

Advertising agencies in San Francisco: two buys on the same ledger

Both buys below are written for this page and are not real campaigns. They carry no dollar figures and no company stage.

Two illustrative buys, written for this page (not real campaigns)
BuyRows it usesSeller it needsRule that could stop the creative
A software launchA Central Subway station near the convention district, BART downtown digital, paid search and LinkedInIntersection for the station, OUTFRONT for BART, the platforms for search and LinkedInBART’s all meanings rule for a pun, and the SFMTA’s bar on disparaging public transportation
A consumer brand opening in the cityMuni exteriors, shelters on Market Street, an older board if a face is free, Meta and streamingIntersection, Clear Channel Outdoor, the sign company on the placard and the platformsThe SFMTA views line, and the placard on the older board

Budgets by company stage are covered on our marketing agency in San Francisco page.

SF ad agency fees next to the sellers’ quotes

The ledger’s last column reads either seller quote or the agency fee line. The agency fee is one line, media is quoted by the seller and production is separate.

Fees you can compare

How much does an advertising agency cost in San Francisco? The bands below are published US figures, and we claim no city premium. Progression publishes no price list for advertising and quotes after a written scope. See marketing agency pricing.

These are published US price bands (market figures, not a Progression rate card).
What is quotedPublished US band
Google Ads management$1,000 to $10,000 a month, or 10% to 20% of ad spend
Meta and paid social management$700 to $5,000 a month, or 10% to 20% of ad spend as WebFX publishes it, excluding the spend itself
Single channel retainer$1,000 to $12,000 a month
Full service retainer$5,000 to $50,000 a month
Fixed scope campaign project$10,000 to $50,000
TV commercial production$10,000 to $500,000 a spot, production only, airtime separate

Space priced only by the seller

Every physical surface in the ledger, and airtime, is quoted by the seller. We print no CPMs and no outdoor ranges here. An ad agency in SF that cannot name the seller of a surface has not bought it recently.

San Francisco ad agencies: ask them to fill in this ledger

Send the blank ledger to any San Francisco advertising agency and ask for three things: the current seller names, a specific face with its permit number, and which rule it checked.

Advertising firms in San Francisco that can answer have bought these surfaces recently. A SF advertising agency that cannot name a seller is quoting from a brochure.

The best ad agencies in San Francisco are the ones that can return this ledger filled in, and we publish no list of them.

What does a filled-in ledger show?

The seller for each row, the rule checked and what you pay. If a cell is blank, ask why.

Bay Area advertising agency or San Francisco specialist: where the ledger stops

Section 611 is a San Francisco rule. These advertising agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area work under more than one city’s sign code.

Oakland, San Jose and other Bay Area cities have their own sign codes, so the ledger does not cover them. BART does cross city lines, as its pages show. Ask a Bay Area advertising agency for a separate ledger per city.

Get a free proposal

Tell us which surfaces you want and what the campaign must say. You get a free proposal with the ledger filled in for your brand.

Get a free proposal

Pages that sit beside this ledger:

Getting found in search

AI, AEO and what is changing

Paid media and lead generation

Websites and design

Choosing and working with an agency

Software and app development

Website design by industry and type

Web development, platforms and hosting

Social, content and brand

By industry and by situation

Frequently asked questions

What can an advertising agency in San Francisco still buy if new billboards are barred?
Older lawful signs, Muni, BART, exempt kiosks and arena signs, and digital ads. The ledger lists each with its seller and rule.
Are billboards illegal in San Francisco?
No. New general advertising signs have been barred since March 5, 2002, per Planning, and older lawful ones can display new copy.
How can I check that a San Francisco board is lawful?
Read its placard for the company name, permit number and permitted dimensions, and check Planning’s inventory. Ask counsel.
Does the sign ban cover bus ads and transit shelters?
The ban excepts motor vehicles and the public right-of-way, and the sign guide exempts limited signs on transit shelters under SFMTA contract.
Who sells advertising on Muni and on BART?
As the SFMTA lists, Intersection and Clear Channel Outdoor by surface. BART names OUTFRONT. Pages change, so recheck them.
Can a campaign on BART argue against a proposed law?
BART’s guidelines bar content supporting or opposing a law, ordinance, regulation or proposed legislation. Ask counsel.
Can an alcohol brand advertise on Muni or BART?
Both documents list alcohol among restricted categories. Check each page for the current wording.
Does California privacy law limit retargeting for a San Francisco campaign?
The CPPA’s FAQ describes an opt-out of sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising. Ask counsel.
What should a San Francisco advertiser budget for agency fees?
Published US bands run from $1,000 to $12,000 a month for a single channel, with media quoted by the seller. We claim no city premium.
What separates the best advertising agencies in San Francisco from the rest?
They can fill in the ledger. Lists of the best advertising agencies in San Francisco, the best ad agencies there, or the best advertising companies there tell you who is known. We publish no list.
Should a Bay Area advertising agency plan Oakland and San Jose the same way?
No. Each city has its own sign code, and only BART crosses.
Will someone from Progression come to San Francisco for a campaign?
On-site sessions are available on request. Progression is based in New York and works with San Francisco advertisers remotely.
What does general advertising mean?
Planning’s page defines it as a sign that directs attention to something sold, offered or conducted elsewhere than on the premises.
What does the small sign on a board tell you?
A small sign showing the owner’s name, permit number and permitted dimensions, as the Planning Code requires.
What does the SFMTA require on every ad?
The SFMTA’s policy requires a line saying the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the agency.
Is a pun a problem on BART?
It can be. BART’s guidelines say all meanings of an ad with a double entendre must comply.
Can a nonprofit advertise on BART for free?
BART’s guidelines say it does not accept free public service announcements.
How early must a Muni public service campaign start?
The SFMTA asks for at least ten weeks’ notice and finished artwork at least five weeks before launch.
Does the ledger include Oakland or San Jose?
No. It covers San Francisco’s rule and the transit pages.
Why not name the sellers’ sales contacts?
We print only the seller names the agencies’ pages give, and no individuals.

Which surfaces do you want?Tell us which surfaces you want and what the campaign must say. You get a free proposal with the ledger filled in for your brand.

Get a free proposal

Get a free marketing proposal

Tell us what you are trying to grow and we will come back with a plan, not a pitch deck. Same-day reply on weekdays.

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