The legality of projecting images, messages, and other content onto buildings is often a bit of a grey area. It’s complex, with nuances to navigate and exceptions to consider, but a solid understanding of how the law works is important when approaching any projection project.
Here at Motion Mapping, we know that being faced with the various application requirements, consent tiers, and consequences can be confusing. In this article, we’ve tried to cover projecting onto buildings, who you need permission from, and why it’s essential to get that permission before you begin.
If you’re struggling to get connected with the right people and need a hand, just get in touch – we’re happy to sort planning applications and permission requests for you.
Before we get stuck in, we want to disclose that everything we talk about in this post is based on government outlines and our own experiences. For official legal advice, you should always seek assistance from a law professional first.
Is projecting onto buildings legal?
Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer to whether or not projecting onto buildings is legal, because it depends on two significant factors: the building you’re projecting onto and the purpose of your projection.
The building’s location, purpose, and owners/management may require different permissions and permits from you. For your projection to be allowed, the right people or authorities must say ‘yes’ before you begin.
If your projection is not an advertisement or announcement, isn’t distracting to drivers, and doesn’t include criminal content, this could also affect what permissions or permits you may or may not need for your project to be legal.
Many projection projects count as advertising
It’s important to know that the law may view far more content as an ‘advertisement’ than you may think. The government’s guidance on advertising defines an advertisement as:
‘any word, letter, model, sign, placard, board, notice, awning, blind, device or representation, whether illuminated or not, in the nature of, and employed wholly or partly for the purposes of, advertisement, announcement or direction, and (without prejudice to the previous provisions of this definition) includes any hoarding or similar structure used or designed, or adapted for use and anything else principally used, or designed or adapted principally for use, for the display of advertisements.’ (gov.uk/guidance/advertisements)
If we put this into simple terms, it’s saying that using any of the listed representations to show messages, pictures, or directions to promote a product, brand, event, or service to the public counts as advertising. Think of your project: does the content fall under these guidelines? Chances are, even a quick publicity stunt projection does.
Who do you need permission from to project onto buildings?
Who you need permission from depends on your projection project and the type of permission it requires. There are two types of permission you may need to obtain to project your content:
- Statutory permission – This is permission granted by the local council or planning authority, necessary if your projection falls under advertisement law. It comes in three tiers:
- Exempt advertisements – no consent required, but must be entirely indoors and not visible from outside.
- Deemed consent – no consent required if it meets standard safety and amenity criteria and dimension limits (excludes any projection that moves, scrolls, or flashes).
- Express consent (applies to most architectural, marketing, and campaign projections) – consent required for any projection that is large-scale or moves, scrolls, or flashes, visible from public spaces.
- Private permission – This is permission granted by the building/site owner/manager, since even a legally compliant projection needs sign-off by the surface’s owner.
Let’s look at some examples of when these permissions might be required:
- Projecting a photo onto your house – you do not need to obtain permission from authorities or the council to project onto your own home, as long as the projection doesn’t distract drivers. However, it may be polite to ask for permission from neighbouring homes, just in case they complain.
- Projecting static snowflakes onto your shopfront – if the shop building isn’t listed and the projection won’t distract drivers, you’ll only need permission from the building owner, as the snowflakes are purely decorative and not an advertisement for your shop.
- Projecting an animation onto a hotel front in a city square – you will need permission from the hotel owner, and, because city squares are heavily regulated public domains, a planning permit from the local council. You may also need an event permit if it’s something set to draw a crowd, and permission if someone other than the council owns the site you’re projecting from.
- Projecting a product launch announcement onto an office block – you will need permission from the office block owner, the owner of the site you’re projecting from, and the local planning authority. If the building you’re projecting onto has a logo or similar that will be seen by the public when viewing your projection, you may also need trademark clearance.
- Projecting a message onto a government building – you will need explicit consent and permission from the department that occupies or manages the building (e.g. the UK Parliament), the local council, and the owner of the site you’ll be projecting from. While permission is needed for all types of projection, this one will take the most work, as projecting illegally onto government buildings can lead to serious police intervention.
Many brands and businesses make the mistake of thinking they only need one or the other of these permissions. While it’s true that some will only require private permission, it is highly likely that most projects, especially if they’re commercial or projected onto a commercial building, will require statutory permission too.
What councils look at before making their decision
Does your project need statutory permission? Then you’ll probably be seeking it from the local council where the projection is occurring. When the planning authority department decides whether or not to approve your application, they consider a few factors: the outdoor advertising rules, how the projection may impact local amenities, and safety regulations. Remember, if your project falls under ‘exempt advertisement’ or ‘deemed consent’, then you will not need to apply for permission from the council.
The council needs to know whether the projection is temporary, as permanent or long-term projections face stricter rules. A public projection running for just one night will have far less of an impact on a local shop than if it ran for a full month, for example.
Public safety is a very important consideration for the council. They’ll need to know if the projection and the equipment are going to pose a hazard to the public, whether they’re on foot or in vehicles. Most projections, especially at night, include bright or moving lights – if these have the potential to block signs, distract drivers, or blind pedestrians, it’s not going to get permission.
Councils will also consider whether your projection is going to cause a nuisance. If the light from the projection shines into people’s homes, for example, this will likely be deemed a nuisance or an impact on their privacy.
Each council will have a checklist of criteria. We highly recommend reaching out to the council in question beforehand to discuss your project to ensure you meet their requirements. This is something the team here at Motion Mapping can either assist you with or do for you.
The rules around projecting onto historic and protected buildings
Some buildings carry extra restrictions when it comes to projection. To legally project onto listed or historic buildings, you’ll need additional permission, even if your projection is temporary or not an advertisement. Different types of heritage assets have different types of protection, and, because of this, different types of consent are given.
No physical changes can be made to a listed building, as they are very strictly controlled. While we strive to never make physical changes to a structure for projection, even adding something removable without authorisation is a criminal offence.
If the light from the projection could cause excessive heat and potentially cause damage or degradation to delicate brickwork, paint, or render, then it won’t be granted permission.
Always learn which rules and regulations apply to the historic building you’re thinking of projecting onto before starting your project to avoid disappointment. We can seek this information for you, should you need help.
What happens if you project onto buildings without permission?
Without the proper permission and permits to project content, you may face consequences. These consequences range in severity, from annoyed neighbours to significant fines, and maybe even arrests; it all depends on what rules or laws you may have broken.
However, this isn’t something you need to worry about when working with a professional projection and projection mapping business. They’ll ensure everything done is above board and will secure the permissions needed before any projection takes place.
Have you seen projections that surely didn’t get permission? Here’s how they did it
Sometimes, a brand or movement won’t want to get permission before projecting content. This could be for a myriad of reasons, including budget and timing, but most often it’s down to wanting to make a big surprise impact.
When brands and movements are happy to take the risks regardless of potential legal consequences, they’ll opt for guerilla projection. This is a type of marketing that leans into speed and shock value, springing a display on unsuspecting audiences for maximum effect. Guerrilla projections are not always strictly legal, but they sure leave a memorable impression.
If you’re interested in our guerrilla projection services, we strongly recommend seeking legal advice first before beginning your project.
Need help with your building projection and projection mapping?
Navigating the complexities of projecting onto buildings doesn’t have to be a solo endeavour. We have years of experience in this industry, so we know who to reach out to, what permits to apply for, and how to ensure your project’s process runs as smoothly as possible.
Need some help getting the admin in order? Get in touch with the Motion Mapping team, and we’ll guide you through the legal bits.