(Issued on March 7, 2012 in accordance with Decree No. 67 of the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality, amended for the first time on September 30, 2015 in accordance with Decree No. 132 of the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality and amended for the second time on November 14, 2019 in accordance with Decree No. 168 of the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality)

　　Article 1     These Measures are formulated in accordance with the Standardization Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Regulations on the Implementation of the Standardization Law of the People’s Republic of China and other relevant laws and regulations, on the basis of the actual conditions of this Municipality and with a view to strengthening the standardized management of public information signs, facilitating people’s life and improving the urban management level.

　　Article 2     These Measures are applicable to the design, review, production, setting, maintenance and supervision and management of public information signs within the administrative area of this Municipality.

　　Article 3     The term “public information signs” herein refers to signs that use such elements as graphics, colors, characters and letters or a combination of some elements to indicate the purpose and orientation of public places and public facilities, so as to remind and guide public behaviors, excluding logos, light boxes, neon lights, text symbols and other signs set by organs, groups, enterprises, institutions and other organizations and individual businesses in their business places and offices to indicate the entity names, brands and office symbols.

　　The term “public places and public facilities” herein refers to hotels (restaurants), shopping malls, commodity trading markets, parks, tourist attractions (scenic spots), airports, stations, wharfs, subway stations, parking lots, urban roads, public toilets, hospitals, conference centers, exhibition halls, stadiums, libraries, museums, theaters, entertainment venues, emergency shelters and other places and facilities that provide services to the public.

　　Article 4     The municipal administration for market regulation is the authority in charge of the standardization work of public information signs in this Municipality, and is responsible for organizing, coordinating, supervising and managing the work related to standardization of public information signs across this Municipality. The district administration for market regulation is responsible for organizing, coordinating, supervising and managing the work related to standardization of public information signs within its specific administrative area.

　　The authorities in charge of construction, public security, civil affairs, transportation, culture, health, urban management, sports, forestry and landscaping, tourism and port affairs shall incorporate the publicity and training of public information sign standards into their work plans, and supervise and guide the systems and industries under their respective jurisdictions in setting public information signs in accordance with the provisions of these Measures.

　　The entities in the fields of civil aviation, railway, subway, etc. within the administrative area of this Municipality shall, in accordance with the requirements of these Measures, take measures for standardizing public information signs.

　　Article 5     For the design, production and setting of public information signs, if there are existing national standards, industry standards or local standards, such standards shall be abided by. Where national standards, industry standards and local standards have not been formulated but in need of uniform implementation throughout this Municipality, the municipal administration for market regulation shall formulate local standards by referring to international standards as the basis for implementation.

　　Article 6     The municipal administration for market regulation shall, as per the requirements of national standards, industry standards and local standards and on the basis of the actual conditions of this Municipality, formulate the Catalogue of Guangzhou Municipality for the Implementation of Public Information Sign Standards (hereinafter referred to as the “Catalogue”), and announce it to the public upon approval by the municipal people’s government and notify relevant industry authorities.

　　The municipal administration for market regulation shall modify the Catalogue timely according to the revision of national standards, industry standards and local standards, and announce the modified Catalogue to the public upon approval by the municipal people’s government and notify relevant industry authorities.

　　Article 7     The design of public information signs shall meet the requirements of the standards listed in the Catalogue. No public information sign below the standards listed in the Catalogue may be produced or installed.

　　Where public information signs used in such public places as star-rated hotels, tourist attractions of grade A or above, airports, railway stations, passenger terminals, subway stations and urban roads need text descriptions, the text descriptions shall include both Chinese and English versions.

　　Article 8     Where national standards, industry standards and local standards have not been formulated, managers or operators of public places and public facilities may develop public information signs according to their own needs, and shall, within 10 days after the completion of the design plans, submit them to the municipal administration for market regulation for filing. After the national, industrial and local standards come out, these national, industrial and local standards shall be implemented.

　　Self-developed public information signs are encouraged to apply international standards.

　　Article 9     The setter of any public information sign shall conduct a standardization review of the design scheme of the public information sign. The review can be organized implemented by the setter itself or by a third-party intermediary agency entrusted by the setter.

　　The setter or the entrusted third-party intermediary agency shall carry out the review work in accordance with the standards listed in the Catalogue.

　　For any large or medium-sized construction, reconstruction or extension project invested by the government, the project developer shall, within 10 days after the completion of the review of the design scheme for the public information signs, submit the review results to the local district administration for market regulation for filing.

　　Article 10   Public places and public facilities shall be available with public information signs.

　　The setting of public information signs shall adopt a safe, standardized, eye-catching and coordinated way, and comply with the relevant regulations and requirements on city appearance, without advertising contents attached.

　　The setting of advertising facilities shall not affect the perceived performance of public information signs.

　　Article 11    For any large or medium-sized construction, reconstruction or extension project invested by the government, the project developer shall include public information signs as auxiliary facilities into the project budget, and incorporate the standardization of the set public information signs into the project completion acceptance check.

　　Article 12   The setter of a public information sign shall regularly inspect and maintain the public information sign, and keep the public information sign intact, clean and clear. In case of damages or falling off of the public information sign, the setter shall repair or update it timely.

　　Article 13   The administration for market regulation shall strengthen the supervision and inspection of the setting of public information signs, and shall promptly order the setters to make corrections, repairs or updates within a prescribed time limit when aware of any of the following situations:

　　(1) The setting of the public information sign does not comply with relevant regulations;

　　(2) The public information sign set does not conform to the standards listed in the Catalogue;

　　(3) The public information sign has damaged or fallen off;

　　(4) Other situations where the public information sign cannot be used normally.

　　Article 14   The authorities in charge of construction, public security, civil affairs, transportation, culture, health, urban management, sports, forestry and gardens, tourism, port affairs, etc. shall, when finding in their routine management that the systems and industries under their jurisdictions do not set public information signs in accordance with the provisions of these Measures, shall order the setters to make corrections within a prescribed time limit; if the setters fail to make corrections within the prescribed time limit, they shall be handed over to the administration for market regulation for investigation and punishment according to law.

　　Article 15   The municipal administration for market regulation shall organize all relevant authorities, relevant entities and news media to carry out supervision and inspection of the standardization of public information signs on an annual basis, and announce to the public the supervision and inspection results.

　　Article 16   The municipal administration for market regulation shall establish a platform for inquiry of standards for public information signs to provide entities and individuals with free standards inquiry services, and strengthen the publicity and training on standards for public information signs.

　　Article 17   For any act that violates the provisions of these Measures, any entity or individual shall have the right to file a complaint or report to the administration for market regulation.

　　The administration for market regulation shall, within 5 working days after receipt of the complaint or report, conduct investigation to verify relevant situations and notify in writing the real-name complainant and reporter of the handling results.

　　Article 18   Where any entity, in violation of the provisions of Article 7 herein, produces a public information sign that does not meet the requirements of the standards listed in the Catalogue, or the developer ofany large or medium-sized construction, reconstruction or extension project invested by the government, in violation of the provisions of Paragraph 3 of Article 9 herein, fails to submit the review results of the design scheme for the public information sign for filing as required, the district administration for market regulation shall order it to make corrections within a prescribed time limit, and a fine of not less than RMB 2,000 but not more than RMB 10,000 shall be imposed.

　　Article 19   For any entity that commits any of the following acts, the district administration for market regulation shall order it to make corrections within a prescribed time limit; if it fails to make corrections within the prescribed time limit, a fine of not less than RMB 2,000 but not more than RMB 10,000 shall be imposed; in case of severe violation, a fine of not less than RMB 10,000 but not more than RMB 30,000 shall be imposed:

　　(1) Violating the provisions of Article 7 herein by setting a public information sign that does not meet the requirements of the standards listed in the Catalog;

　　(2) Violating the provisions of Article 10 herein by failing to setting a public information sign that shall be set, setting a public information sign that does not meet relevant regulations and requirements or setting advertising facilities that affect the perceived performance of public information signs;

　　(3) Violating the provisions of Article 12 herein by setting a public information sign damaged or fallen off.

　　In case of severe violation deemed by the municipal administration for market regulation to be subject to direct investigation and punishment, it may directly investigate and impose punishment.

　　Article 20   Where any authority in charge of market regulation, construction, public security, civil affairs, transportation, culture, health, urban management, sports, forestry and landscaping, tourism or port affairs and its staff member, in violation of the provisions of these Measures, fails to perform its/his/her duties required by law, the competent authority shall order it/him/her to make corrections and impose sanctions on the person in charge responsible and other persons directly responsible; if a crime is constituted, criminal liabilities shall be investigated and affixed according to law.

　　Article 21   The standardized management of the temporary public information signs required during short-term major events including trade fairs, flower fairs and temple fairs but to be removed after the end of such events shall be implemented with reference to these Measures.

　　Article 22   These Measures shall come into force on May 1, 2012. Any public information sign set before the implementation of these Measures that does not conform to the provisions of these Measures shall be rectified to meet the standards within two years from the date of the promulgation of these Measures.