Haryana tightens outdoor advertising rules to boost road safety, transparency

The Haryana government has rolled out tighter regulations for outdoor advertising across urban local bodies, aiming to enhance road safety, improve city aesthetics and plug revenue leakages in the municipal advertising system.

The revised framework, notified as the Haryana Municipal Advertisement (Amendment) Bye-laws, 2025 on December 18, strengthens oversight of outdoor media installations while introducing greater standardisation in auctions and approvals.

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One of the key changes is the reworking of definitions to remove ambiguity around advertising structures. The amendments clearly define Outdoor Media Devices (OMDs) and introduce the concept of “clusters of OMDs”, which will now be used as the basic unit for auctioning advertising rights. Municipal bodies have also been directed to fix reserve prices in accordance with state guidelines to prevent underpricing.

Eligibility norms for advertisers have been tightened, restricting participation in auctions to registered entities with at least six months’ validity remaining in their registration. According to Arun Kumar Gupta, additional chief secretary, Urban Local Bodies Department, the move is intended to improve accountability and curb fly-by-night operators.

The amendments also place a strong emphasis on digitisation. Urban local bodies must now process advertising applications online and communicate approvals or rejections within 30 days. Approved advertising sites are required to be uploaded on a digital portal within three days of clearance, ensuring transparency ahead of auctions.

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To discourage speculative bidding, the rules mandate an earnest money deposit of 10% of the reserve price, with provisions for forfeiture if a successful bidder backs out. Auctions will only be scheduled if at least three distinct bidders participate, with exceptions allowed only after multiple failed attempts.

The new bye-laws empower municipal authorities to swiftly remove unauthorised advertisements and dismantle illegal structures, which can then be disposed of on an “as-is, where-is” basis.

Stricter location and spacing norms have also been introduced, particularly along national highways, state highways and major urban roads. Advertisements are prohibited within the right of way, near intersections and at traffic-sensitive points, a move officials say addresses chronic safety and visual clutter concerns in cities like Gurugram.

Digital advertising formats such as LED, LCD and 3D screens have been further regulated. These displays are now restricted to designated public spaces and commercial areas, barred from facing moving traffic, and allowed only as static visuals coordinated with traffic signals.

Urban local body officials said the revised rules seek to strike a balance between municipal revenue generation and public safety, while bringing uniformity and transparency to outdoor advertising governance across Haryana.