What Signs Does My Business Legally Need? UK Signage Law Checker
For most premises the legal list is short: a no-smoking sign, fire exit signs where the way out isn't obvious, a CCTV notice if you record people and, if you employ anyone, the health and safety law poster and your employers' liability certificate. Answer the questions below for your exact list, with the law behind every sign.
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The signs and notices the law requires
Every row below is a legal duty in England, Wales or both, checked against the legislation on 29 October 2026. Most premises need only a few of them.
| Sign or notice | Who needs it | England | Wales | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-smoking sign | Enclosed workplaces and premises open to the public | At least one legible sign; no set size or wording | At least one sign showing the crossed-cigarette symbol | Smoke-free (Signs) Regulations 2012; Wales Regulations 2020, reg. 13 |
| School grounds no-smoking sign | Schools (also hospital grounds and public playgrounds in Wales) | No grounds rule yet | Bilingual prescribed wording at each main entrance | Wales Regulations 2020, reg. 14 |
| Fire exit and escape route signs | Non-domestic premises where the way out isn't obvious | Green running-man pictogram | Same | Fire Safety Order 2005, art. 14; Safety Signs Regulations 1996 |
| What to do if the alarm sounds | Hotels, B&Bs, holiday lets, glamping | Required, no set format | Same | Fire Safety Order 2005 and government guidance |
| CCTV notice | Anyone recording people beyond their own household | Who runs it, why, and how to contact them | Same | UK GDPR; ICO guidance |
| Health and safety law poster | Every employer | Poster displayed, or leaflet given to each worker | Same (Welsh version available) | Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations 1989 |
| Employers' liability certificate | Every employer that must hold the insurance | Displayed, or available electronically | Same | Employers' Liability Regulations 1998, reg. 5 |
| Registered company name | Limited companies | At every place of business that isn't mainly a home | Same | Trading Disclosures Regulations 2015, Part 6 |
| Owner's name and address notice | Sole traders and partnerships trading under a business name | Prominent where customers and suppliers have access | Same | Companies Act 2006, s. 1204 |
| Allergen notice | Food businesses giving allergen information verbally | Notice inviting customers to ask staff | Same | Food Information Regulations 2014 (Business Companion) |
| Food hygiene rating sticker | Food businesses | Voluntary | Required at or near each customer entrance | Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013, s. 7 |
| Premises licence summary | Premises licensed to sell alcohol | Displayed prominently | Same | Licensing Act 2003, s. 57 |
| Spirit measure notice | Pubs, bars and restaurants selling spirits by the measure | States 25ml or 35ml | Same | Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988, art. 3 |
| Small measures available | Premises selling alcohol for drinking on site | On menus, price lists or a notice | Same | Mandatory Licensing Conditions Order 2014 |
| Tobacco age-of-sale notice | Tobacco retailers | A3 at each point of sale; new wording from 1 January 2027 | A3; Welsh text required from 1 January 2027 | GOV.UK guidance; Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 |
| Hotel liability notice | Hotels that want the legal cap on liability for guests' property | At or near reception | Same | Hotel Proprietors Act 1956, s. 2 |
What changes in the coming months
- 20 November 2026 — Airbnb house rules. For stays booked from this date, every house rule must be in the listing at booking. Signs in the property can repeat those rules but not add new ones, fines or cleaning chores. This is Airbnb policy, not law.
- 1 January 2027 — tobacco notice. The age-of-sale notice changes to "It is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009", and in Wales it must include Welsh text. The size rules are subject to Parliament and Senedd approval (GOV.UK, updated 12 August 2026).
- Not yet in force — vape-free places. The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, Part 7 lets ministers make some places vape-free and set no-smoking sign formats again. As of October 2026 none of this has been brought into force.
- Not yet in force — Martyn's Law. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025 with an implementation period of at least 24 months. It applies where 200 or more people can be present and sets procedures, not signs.
Our UK signage law changes tracker lists each dated change with its primary source and status, including the deposits drinks retailers must show next to prices from 1 October 2027.
Signs the law doesn't require
- Bilingual Welsh signs for private businesses. Not required. The two exceptions are the fixed no-smoking wording for school grounds, hospital grounds and public playgrounds, and the tobacco notice from 2027. The Welsh Government's Helo Blod service translates up to 500 words a month for businesses free of charge. See is bilingual signage legally required in Wales?
- "Card payments only" signs. No law requires you to accept cash or to say that you don't. Showing it before customers order avoids disputes: see can a UK business refuse cash?
- No-vaping signs. Vaping indoors isn't banned in England or Wales yet, so "no vaping" is your house rule.
- Accessibility signs. The Equality Act 2010 doesn't prescribe signs; it requires reasonable adjustments, and clear signs are one of the simplest. See which accessibility signs a business needs.
- Opening hours, room, toilet, WiFi and review signs. Useful, but none are legal requirements.
Link to a ready-made checklist
Each checklist has its own address, so you can link your members straight to the list for their type of premises. These open the checker pre-filled:
To cite this checker:
Cherry Grove Craft (2026). What Signs Does My Business Legally Need? UK Signage Law Checker for England and Wales. Checked 29 October 2026. https://cherrygrovecraft.co.uk/pages/what-signs-does-my-business-legally-need
How this checker was built
Every item comes from primary sources: legislation.gov.uk, the Health and Safety Executive, the Information Commissioner's Office, the Food Standards Agency, the Welsh Government and GOV.UK. Each one links to its source. We checked every rule on 29 October 2026 and re-check them each quarter and whenever a change comes into force. The dates shown for upcoming changes switch over automatically on the day they take effect.
We make engraved signs in North Wales; we aren't lawyers or fire risk assessors. Where a sign has to meet a safety-sign standard — fire exits, firefighting equipment, assembly points — we say so and point you to a free printable or a safety sign supplier rather than selling you a wooden one. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a no-smoking sign a legal requirement?
Yes, for any enclosed or substantially enclosed premises that is a workplace or open to the public. In England one legible sign of any design is enough. In Wales the sign must show the symbol of a burning cigarette in a red circle with a bar across it. Private homes, and self-contained holiday lets in England, are outside the rule.
Do I need fire exit signs in a small shop or office?
Only where the way out wouldn't be obvious to someone who doesn't know the building. A small unit with one obvious exit generally doesn't need one. Your written fire risk assessment decides, and any sign you do use must carry the green running-man pictogram — text alone doesn't comply.
Do businesses in Wales have to use bilingual signs?
No. Private businesses can use English only. The exceptions are the fixed bilingual no-smoking wording for school grounds, hospital grounds and public playgrounds, and, from 1 January 2027, the tobacco age-of-sale notice. Public bodies follow the Welsh language standards in their compliance notice.
Do I need a sign for a video doorbell?
If the camera only sees your own property, no — though the ICO recommends one. If it sees beyond your boundary, such as the pavement or a neighbour's garden, data protection law applies and you should put up a sign. Holiday lets always need one, because guests are paying customers.
What notices does a pub have to display?
The premises licence summary and who holds it, the spirit measure you use (25ml or 35ml), the availability of small measures, a no-smoking sign, an allergen notice if you give allergen information verbally, and the health and safety law poster and employers' liability certificate if you have staff. In Wales add the food hygiene rating sticker, and add the tobacco age-of-sale notice if you sell tobacco.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's general information drawn from the legislation and official guidance linked above. Your fire risk assessment, licence conditions and local authority have the final word for your premises.