San Francisco County Municipal Code § 789.2 Requirements

This Section 789.2 describes the requirements for commemoration of historical sites, events, and persons in locations upon a public right-of-way, as defined in Section 2.4.4 of this Code, or public places, as defined in Section 244 of this Code. The Board of Supervisors may commemorate historical sites, events, and persons by designating portions of public right-of-way or public places and/or by authorizing the installation of commemorative plaques on a public right-of-way or a public place. (a) Commemoration By Designation. The Board of Supervisors may, by resolution, designate a portion of a public right-of-way or a public place to commemorate a site, event, or person of historical interest or significance to San Francisco. (b) Commemoration By Plaque Installation. Any applicant seeking to commemorate a site, event, or person of historical interest or significance to San Francisco by placement and installation of a commemorative plaque on a public right-of-way or a public place shall obtain all necessary approvals from the Board of Supervisors and the Arts Commission, and the applicant shall satisfy all applicable accessibility requirements. In addition, the applicant shall file an application with the Department and shall obtain all necessary permits and approvals from the Department for the commemorative plaque, including any applicable major or minor sidewalk encroachment permits. The applicant shall submit all required fees and shall provide the Department with all required information including but not limited to the applicant’s preferred locations for plaque installation, alternative locations for plaque installation, and any security and/or evidence of insurance, as may be required by the Department following the Department’s review of the application. (Added by Ord. 149-96, App. 4/17/96; amended by Ord. 252-23, File No. 230768, App. 12/19/2023, Eff. 1/19/2024; Ord. 224-25, File No. 250894, App. 11/21/2025, Eff. 12/22/2025)