Applying for a tourist or service sign
You can apply for a tourist or service sign to guide visitors to your attraction or service if you meet certain requirements. This applies to all signage on state-controlled roads.
The types of tourist and service signs you can apply for are:
- tourist attraction signs (white on brown)
- service signs (white on blue)
- tourist drive signs
- welcome signs.
Your application will be assessed by the Queensland Government on road and traffic considerations, with the Regional Tourism Organisation providing advice on tourism merit for tourist attraction, accommodation services and tourist drive signs. Proposed tourist and service signs will only be considered if road safety and efficiency will not be compromised.
If your application is successful, you must pay for sign design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance. If you close or move your business, you may be required to pay for sign removal.
The aim of tourist and service signs is to guide tourists to their destination, not to market your business.
This guide explains how to apply for or renew a tourist or service sign approval, and potential costs for sign installation, maintenance and removal.
Tourist attraction sign application
Tourist signs have white words on a brown background and show the location details and direct motorists to nearby tourist attractions.
Before applying for a sign, you must meet all core criteria and any specific criteria for the category that relates to your tourist attraction.
If you are granted approval for a sign, you will be required to pay for sign design, manufacturing and installation.
Core criteria
To qualify for tourist signs, your tourist attraction must:
- be well established and operating for at least 6 months (providing a significant tourism experience)
- have all relevant local, state and commonwealth licences and approval to operate
- not require pre-bookings to visit the attraction during normal opening hours
- be open for a minimum of 5 days a week, including weekends and public holidays (excluding Good Friday, Anzac Day and Christmas Day) and a minimum of 6 hours per day. Must be open during school holidays
- provide adequate parking, either on-site or within close and convenient proximity to the attraction
- provide visitors with high-quality interpretation (for example, guided tours, self-guided tour brochures, audio tours, brochures or pamphlets, labels or text panels, annotated displays). Attractions cannot rely solely on verbal interpretation provided by an operator or staff member
- provide toilet facilities that comply with disability access legislation
- be appropriately signed so that it is easily identifiable at the entrance, with information about the opening hours, days of operation and contact details included
- be supported by relevant marketing material (for example, a brochure available from the nearest Visitor Information Centre, or an established website that includes printable information, that clearly states the street address, opening days and hours, and contact phone numbers). It should also include a map that provides clear navigation to the attraction, without relying on signs
- be open for 9 months of the year or more. An attraction open less than 9 months of the year seeking tourist signing needs to prove why it legitimately cannot deliver a year-round experience (for example, climatic seasonal factors that affect the quality of the experience).
Desirable criteria
It's desirable for tourist attractions applying for signs to:
- be accredited through Australian Transport Assessment and Planning (Australian accreditation program)
- participate in the local, regional or peak sector tourism organisation.
Choose the category that relates to your tourist attraction to apply for or renew a tourist road sign and show any additional requirements.
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Galleries featuring a broad range of media including wood, glass, ceramics, jewellery, metal, textiles or fabrics and mixed media, which are usually locally sourced or operated.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, a gallery must:
- have a professionally presented exhibition space greater than 50m2
- demonstrate more than 30% of the art or craft works displayed are by local and/or regional artists.
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Art and craft outlets featuring a broad range of media including wood, glass, ceramics, jewellery, metal, textiles or fabrics and mixed media, which are usually locally sourced or operated.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, an art or craft outlet must:
- be a studio type gallery, featuring a resident artist or craftsperson
- display a production process, together with associated interpretation
- have a professionally presented exhibition space greater than 50m2
- demonstrate more than 30% of the art or craft works displayed are by local or regional artists.
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Local history museums, museums devoted to specialised collections or topics, or major state and national museums.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, a museum must have:
- consistent displays or presentations which relate to the local community and its identity, or to a specific theme
- displays of adequate substance, quality or significance to convey knowledge of the particular theme or identity to visitors
- management policies and practices that ensure the collection, its display and interpretation are maintained to a high standard
- collections or displays representing a specific theme. Applicants must demonstrate how the collections or displays represent a particular theme or local or regional identity
- adequate exhibition space. The exhibition space must be greater than 50m2.
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Attractions involving sites with historic or contemporary significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Specific criteria for this category
If you own and operate an attraction classified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and you are not Indigenous, you must provide evidence you have consulted with the traditional owners for the area and have approval to display directional signage to the attraction.
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Attractions registered on the Queensland Heritage Register or the local heritage register.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, historic sites, buildings and monuments must:
- be registered on the Queensland Heritage Register or the local heritage register
- have interpretative material and supporting literature available for visitors providing adequate insights into the heritage values and/or significance of the attraction.
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Wineries with a cellar door offering wine tasting and sales. This category includes non-grape wineries, breweries, and distilleries.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, wineries must have a purpose-built facility for tasting (cellar door) and sales. The tasting facility is to be located where either:
- wine production processes can be viewed or interpreted
- the vineyard can be viewed and visited.
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Attractions involving an agricultural activity (e.g. lavender farms) or factory or mill processes (e.g. a cheese factory).
Your signage application will be assessed on experiences offered to visitors through viewing the processes and learning about the industry.
Specific criteria for this category
There are no specific criteria for this category.
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Attractions providing informative experiences to visitors will be considered.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, zoos, wildlife parks and aquariums must meet the Queensland licensing requirements.
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National parks in Queensland are vital to the success of nature-based tourism and conservation activity. Special care needs to be taken so tourism activity does not damage or diminish conservation efforts. National parks are often in remote locations, away from main corridors. Many of the larger parks or sites have multiple access points, each leading to a different collection of visitor facilities. Many of these may not be internally connected.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, national parks must:
- ensure the national park authority is the applicant, or the applicant must provide written approval from the owner
- provide an informative experience for visitors
- where national parks have multiple access points, should only sign the points that have significant tourism experience
- ensure that hard copy collateral material/websites and so on be available for the visitor to research the type of experience/activities available in the national park
- ensure all national parks signage will be located on the nearest arterial road.
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Theme parks with an identifiable, consistent and integrated theme.
This category does not include sport and recreation facilities that mainly cater for the local community, such as sports-based activities, racecourses and trotting tracks.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, theme parks must:
- have an identifiable and consistent theme. Themes could include movie making, gold mining, wildlife etc.
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Attractions enjoying a very high level of recognition by domestic and international visitors. An iconic or quintessential part of the image of Queensland and its regions (e.g. Australia Zoo, Movie World, Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area).
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, state significant attractions must:
- be open daily (excluding Good Friday, Anzac Day and Christmas Day)
- exceed 500,000 visitors per annum (verified by an independent professional, for example certified practising accountant).
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A cluster of heritage products featuring in-depth interpretation to highlight their historical significance.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, historic towns and precincts, the town or precinct must:
- have a concentrated number of heritage attractions and be recognised on the Queensland Heritage Register or by the relevant federal heritage office
- have applications endorsed by the relevant local authority. In most cases the Chief Executive Officer of the local council should be the applicant.
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A concentrated number of wineries providing a genuine tourism experience to road users for a whole day and ensuring their reasonable expectation will be met when visiting the district.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for tourist signs, a wine region must:
- be recognised by Wine Australia and be identified with a regional name
- have a critical mass of at least 4 wineries and at least 75% of these need to be open, without appointment, on any given day, including both days of the weekend
- have promotion as an integrated wine region. For example, a brochure available at the nearest Visitor Information Centre, or an established website with printable information. It should include details of the wineries in the region and a map with clear navigation to the region, without relying entirely on signs.
Note: Although it is necessary for wine regions to be recognised by Wine Australia, the official boundaries are not always suitable locations for welcome signs. Where possible, all wine region welcome signs should be within a short distance of the first winery, information bay or visitor centre. An information bay or visitor centre should be located at the beginning of the region, where relevant information can be obtained (e.g. the number of wineries, operating hours, contact details and map showing indicative locations of the wineries and the overall region).
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A geographical region consisting of a mixture of tourist products and experiences. To warrant signs, these towns or precincts must provide an extensive range of services (dining, accommodation and attractions) for visitors.
Specific criteria for this category
There are no additional criteria for this category.
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Tourist attractions that do not fit within categories listed above.
Specific criteria for this category
If your tourist attraction does not fit within a category listed above, you must:
- provide a written description of the attraction (e.g. details about the type, nature and significance of the attraction to visitors), supported by documented evidence (e.g. photographs, diagrams)
- describe the experience(s) offered to visitors
- provide details on current visitation numbers.
Also consider...
- Read the Tourist and service signs guideline for more detailed information on tourist signs on state controlled roads.
- Find support and contacts for tourist and service signs.
Service signs
Service signs are used to identify services available to road users, and are identified by their white symbols or text on blue background.
Before applying for a service sign, you must meet all core criteria and any specific criteria for your category. For example:
- accommodation
- caravan parks
- tourist information facilities
- roadside fuel facilities
- community facilities.
If you are granted an approval for a sign, you will be required to pay for sign design, manufacturing and installation, unless your sign is for a non-commercial roadside service or public facility.
Accommodation
Core criteria
To qualify for accommodation service signs, your accommodation service must:
- be dedicated to providing for the needs of short-term tourists (allow overnight stays)
- be well established, have been operating for at least 6 months and open daily
- be available to the general public (not exclusively for coach tours and other organised groups)
- not require pre-booking
- meet all statutory state and local government regulations and planning requirements
- be located within suitable distance of a state or regional road (the distance along a side road to the establishment should not exceed 5km)
- be distinctly signed at the property entrance so the facility is easily identifiable by passing motorists.
Desirable criteria
It is desirable for accommodation services applying for signs to:
- be quality assured—accommodation providers should aim to be assessed by an independent accreditation program (e.g. Star Ratings Australia, Eco Tourism Australia)
- be a member of a recognised local, regional or peak sector tourism organisation
- show a location map of the property on brochures and other marketing collateral (e.g. website)
- be listed on the database of the nearest accredited Visitor Information Centre.
Click on the category that relates to your accommodation service to apply for a service sign to see any additional requirements.
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Caravan parks typically provide a mixture of on-site vans, powered caravan sites, camping sites or motel-style cabins with private facilities.
Specific criteria for this category
Caravan parks must:
- provide a mixture of accommodation, powered sites and camping sites
- be managed by on-site personnel 7 days a week.
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Camping sites are areas set aside for temporary accommodation, which is supplied by the traveller. This may range from tents to recreational vehicles such as caravans, camping trailers and motorhomes with varying degrees of on-board facilities.
Camping sites may be on land dedicated for that purpose within national parks, state forests, local government areas, private land or as an adjunct to a caravan park.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for service signs, camping sites must:
- be serviced by fresh water for drinking purposes
- have a designated area set aside for camping with toilet and bathroom facilities.
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Backpacker or hostel accommodation is generally lower-cost lodging featuring dormitory-style sleeping, with a mixture of shared and private bathrooms, laundry facilities and a communal kitchen.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for service signs, backpacker accommodation must:
- provide lodging with dormitory-style sleeping arrangements (dormitory style includes rooms with quad and double sleeping arrangements)
- provide adequate shared bathroom and laundry facilities
- provide an equipped communal kitchen and dining facilities.
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Farm stay or host farm accommodation is provided within rural properties. The form of the accommodation may range from self-contained cabins or cottages to rooms in a homestead.
Properties generally place emphasis on atmosphere and individual character.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for service signs, farm stays or host farms must:
- be on a working farm
- offer a range of farm-type activities.
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Self-contained accommodation is a room or suite of rooms designed as a residence and generally located in a building occupied by more than 1 household.
Specific criteria for this category
To qualify for service signs, self-contained accommodation must:
- have a permanent on-site manager
- have a minimum of 5 room or dwelling units—to allow for independent booking and casual accommodation.
Airports, visitor information and service centres, tourist radio services and community facilities
Click on the category that relates to your service or facility. Before applying for a sign, you must meet any criteria for your category.
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Minor airports or aerodromes
Minor airports and aerodromes may be signed where the airport and/or aerodrome is not readily visible, or where the entrance is not identifiable from the road.
Major airports or aerodromes
Major airports are signed by name and are included on direction signs as a destination.
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VICs should provide the major source of information to a visitor in a city, town or region. VICs are usually operated and funded by the local council and/or tourist association. The principal tourist signing in any urban area should direct visitors to the nearest accredited VIC.
As part of a national strategy to achieve a high-quality network of visitor information services, only accredited VICs are provided with signs showing the trademarked yellow on blue italicised 'i' symbol.
The white on blue roman 'i' symbol is not to be used on roadside signs to direct visitors to non-accredited VICs. It shall only be used for onsite property signing of non-accredited centres; however the white on blue roman 'i' can be used on roadside signs for signing to information bays. In this case, the word 'bay' is to be used in conjunction with the blue roman 'i'.
To become an accredited VIC, find out how to apply for accreditation.
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Information bays are off-road areas established by or with the consent of the relevant road authority, where visitor information displays are provided and maintained by local council, tourist associations or community groups. Information bay and interpretive signs can be staffed or unstaffed establishments. Initially, applications to establish tourist information bays should be made to the appropriate road authority.
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There are 4 types of roadside fuel facilities:
- unattended facilities
- service stations
- remote service centres
- service centre (the largest type).
The purpose of roadside fuel facilities is to encourage drivers to break their journey to avoid driver fatigue.
Roadside fuel facilities must meet the essential needs of road users to provide safe, comfortable and enjoyable motoring on limited access roads. As a service to road users, it is also necessary to provide enough roadside fuel facilities to minimise the frequency of vehicles running out of fuel.
Note: New roadside fuel facilities policy and guidelines are currently under development. Contact Transport and Main Roads' local regional office for more information on the signage options available and criteria for roadside fuel facilities.
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Tourist or visitor information radio services must be licenced to operate by the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) and operate in accordance with the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) conditions outlined in Schedule 2 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.
Specific criteria for this category
Signs may be provided for tourist or visitor information radio services:
- where the transmission operates solely as a visitor or motorist information service
- that provide information for the education, enjoyment and benefit of the visitor, which relates to attractions and facilities within the broadcast area
- that provide other special information to assist the visitor or motorist (e.g. snow or surf reports, weather conditions, road and traffic updates)
- that present a balance between commercial advertising content and non-commercial information
- where evidence of consultation with a relevant tourism association and/or the state or territory tourism organisation regarding program format and the accuracy of broadcast content is provided.
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Community facilities seeking signs must be included in the list below, meet the relevant requirements, and be likely to attract a significant number of visitors.
- Business Centres—may be signed where the business or town centre is not readily visible from the road.
- Cemetery/crematorium—may be signed where the facility is not readily visible from the road or the route to the entrance is not obvious.
- Churches—may be provided with signs on request if the church is not readily visible from the road. A denominational name may be included on the sign.
- Civic centres and town halls—may be signed by name.
- Educational institutions—Tertiary educational institutions (e.g. university or TAFE campus) may be signed by name. Primary and secondary schools should only be signed if they have some special facility sought by significant numbers of visitors unfamiliar to the area.
- Golf courses—may be signed where the golf course is not readily visible from the road or the route to the entrance is not obvious and caters for members of the public.
- Hospitals—may be signed by name. The hospital symbol is to represent first aid, casualty service, hospital, doctor, ambulance services. Only use the Symbol S1 where the hospital provides a 24-hour emergency service.
- Industrial areas—may be eligible for signs where the industrial area is set aside and zoned exclusively as industrial and is a major traffic generator.
- Libraries—may be signed where the library is not readily visible from the road or the route to the entrance is not obvious.
- Non-profit institutions—may be signed where the institution is not readily visible from the road and they are used by a significant number of visitors unfamiliar to the area.
- Parks—may be signed where the park is not readily visible from the road and they are used by a significant number of visitors to the area.
- Police stations—may be signed by name where the police station is not readily visible from the road.
- Post offices—may be signed by name where the post office is not readily visible from the road.
- Public toilets—may be signed if the toilet facilities are accessible 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.
- Railway stations—may be signed by name where the station is not readily visible from the road.
- Recreation centres (e.g. tennis courts)—may be signed where the recreation centre is not readily visible from the road and they are used by a significant number of visitors unfamiliar to the area.
- Refuse / recycling centres—may be signed where the refuse / recycling facility is not readily visible from the road.
- Rural fire stations—no criteria apply.
- Shopping centres—may be signed where the centre is not readily visible from the state or regional road, or where the centre is visible from state or regional road, but the route to the centre is not obvious. Signs are only provided if the distance from the state or regional road to a regional shopping centre is no greater than 2km, or the distance from the state or regional road to a local shopping centre is not greater than 1km. The name of the shopping centre would only be shown on a sign if there could be confusion as to which shopping centre the sign references. The destination 'Business Centre' or 'Town Centre' is preferred in towns and smaller provincial cities. Note: Not all shopping centres are eligible for signage.
- Sports facilities—may be signed by name, if they are regularly used by a significant number of visitors to the area.
- Swimming pools—may be signed where the swimming pool is not readily visible from the road or the route to the entrance is not obvious, caters for members of the public and open to casual visitors, and is used by a significant number of visitors to the area.
- Theatres or performing arts centres—may be signed where the centre is not readily visible from the road.
Also consider...
- Read the Tourist and service signs guideline for more information on service signs.
- Find support and contacts for tourist and service signs.
Tourist drive sign application
Tourist drive signs direct visitors along a section of road that provides some tourism or scenic value.
Before applying for or renewing a tourist drive sign you must meet all core criteria.
Core criteria for tourist drive signs
Signs may be provided for tourist drives that comply with the following conditions:
- the route must have significant tourism and/or scenic appeal, including a reasonable frequency of quality tourist attractions to maintain the interest of the visitor
- the route must not be based on attractions which are strictly seasonal or are not a permanent feature of the route
- the route must allow for the safe passage for private vehicles at all times (avoiding hazardous alignments or grades, or single lane roads)
- the route must be suitably maintained roads, preferably sealed, which are also capable of handling the volumes of traffic attracted to the route
- promotional material (for example, a map, brochure or online material) covering the drive and attractions must be developed and made available through Visitor Information Centres and other outlets on an ongoing basis
- the tourist drive should be listed on the Queensland Holidays website. Information relating to tourist drives is updated through the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse by relevant regional tourism organisation and through the Queensland Holiday website
- the route must have been promoted for a period of at least 12 months
- it is expected tourist drives will not occur on motorway type roads
- the route must have linkages to state or local government strategic priorities (for example, tourism destination plans).
If you are granted approval for tourist drive signs, you will be required to pay for sign design, manufacture and installation.
Apply for a tourist drive sign
More information
Welcome sign or entry statement application
Welcome signs welcome visitors to a particular area or region such as the State of Queensland, tourist region, a local government, town or city. They provide a milestone marker in a driver's journey.
You can apply for a welcome sign to a particular area or region. Types of welcome signs available include:
- Welcome to Queensland signs
- pictorial Welcome to tourist region signs
- Welcome to Indigenous country signs
- local government boundary signs
- welcome to town or city signs
- other welcome and supporting signs (such as entry statements)
As towns grow or areas change, there may be multiple welcome signs installed on the same approach. Ideally, only 1 welcome sign should be required for any town or area.
As new welcome signs are approved, any existing welcome signs should be removed.
If you are granted an approval for a welcome sign or entry statement, you will be required to pay for the design, manufacture and installation.
More information
Ordering, designing and installing an approved sign
If your application for a tourist or service sign is successful, you will be advised on the approved number and location of signs, and sent a list of pre-approved sign designers, manufacturers and installers.
These contractors will provide you with a cost estimate for the approved sign treatment.
Only contractors approved by the Department of Transport and Main Roads are permitted to design, manufacture or install tourist and service signs.
For the design, manufacture and installation of entry statements, applicants are able to seek a service provider of their choice.
Costs and sign type
Costs for different types and numbers of signs, including design, manufacture and installation, can vary significantly. The cost will depend on your specific circumstances.
Factors influencing sign costs
- Posted speed limit of the roads
- Signage required on a motorway or a standard road
- Size of approved sign
- Intersection/interchange configuration and size/location/number of existing signs
- If the new sign is a stand-alone sign or a plate to an existing sign
- If the existing sign face can support a new plate, or requires a completely new design
- Terrain and environmental conditions
- Offset from the road and type of footings and/or posts required
- Geometry of the road (e.g. mountainous road with winding alignments, where it may be necessary to install additional advance signage in addition to signage at the entrance)
- The extent of traffic control and lane closures required (e.g. whether the work can be done during the day or night)
You may also need to apply to your local council for signs to direct visitors around the local road network.
Wording and details
Sign wording will be kept to a minimum. You may be encouraged to use a standard tourist attraction symbol that adequately describes your attraction.
Ordering signs
Once you receive an 'approval in principle' notice, follow these steps to order signs and have them installed.
Step 1: Select designers, manufacturers and installers
To order signs, you will need to:
- source quotes and select service providers from the pre-approved list, provided by Transport and Main Roads
- brief and request a design scheme from the service provider.
Read section 2 of the Tourist and service signs guideline for more information on ordering signs.
Step 2: Submit a design scheme to Transport and Main Roads for approval
The design scheme you submit to TMR must include the:
- sign face and sign structure designs details, final sign locations and clearance heights
- preferred service provider
- road and corridor permit application, confirming sign location and clearance heights.
Read section 2 of the Tourist and service signs guideline for more information on design scheme.
Step 3: Approve sign manufacturing and installation
Once you have approval to proceed, you can ask your sign manufacturer and installer to proceed.
The sign installer will be required to:
- lodge a road corridor permit application to perform works on state-controlled roads and the time frame for installation
- attend an inspection with a Transport and Main Roads inspector, following installation
- rectify any problems found by the Transport and Main Roads inspector.
Read section 2 of the Tourist and service signs guideline for more information about sign manufacturing and installation.
Also consider...
- Learn more in the Tourist and service signs guideline.
- Find support and contacts for tourist and service signs.
- Apply for a tourist attraction sign, service sign, tourist drive sign or welcome sign.
Renewing a tourist or service sign permit
Tourist and service road sign permits are granted for 7 years.
Before your approval expires, you must apply to have it renewed and comply with the Tourist and service signs guideline.
If you choose not to renew, you may have to pay for sign removal.
Use the following links to submit a tourist or service sign application to have your sign renewed:
Support and contacts for tourist and service signs
You can contact our regional road office about your application for a tourist or service sign.
They can also help with sign:
- renewal
- maintenance
- repair
- removal.
Alternatively, any tourist or service sign enquiries can be sent by email to tourist.signs@tmr.qld.gov.au.
© The State of Queensland 1995–2026