Hungary proposes sweeping new rules on political and outdoor advertising

On 2 June 2026, proposal T/122 'On curbing hate-inciting political advertisements, ensuring the townscape integration of commercial advertisements, and amending certain investment rules' was tabled in the Hungarian Parliament. The bill, which would significantly tighten the rules on outdoor commercial advertising in Hungary, will take effect on 1 August 2026 if passed. 

Who is affected?

The proposed changes focus on outdoor advertising and out-of-home (OOH) operators, media service providers, real estate owners and developers, construction companies using advertising mesh banners on building sites, retailers and brands relying on large-format outdoor campaigns, political parties, and local governments assuming new regulatory responsibilities.

What would change for political advertising?

The bill would make it illegal to broadcast or publish any political advertisement that violates human dignity, targets a national, ethnic, racial or religious community, attributes collective guilt to any group, or aims to incite hatred. Images or videos depicting individuals in a false or misleading way for those purposes would also be banned. 

These content-based restrictions would apply across all media. The ban would extend to the use of any image or audiovisual content that depicts individuals in a false or misleading manner and can achieve these purposes or effects. Furthermore, political advertisements would be prohibited from publishing any visual or textual content harmful to the physical, mental, moral or emotional development of minors.

After receiving a complaint, the Media Council must rule within 15 days on whether a specific piece of content qualifies as a prohibited political ad.

Outdoor advertising: tighter placement and size rules

The bill proposes major changes to Hungary's commercial advertising landscape:

• Ads in or visible from public spaces could only appear on street furniture, advertising columns, utility poles and roof-mounted carriers. Contrary to the above, firewall advertisements, advertising mesh banners (reklámháló) and scaffold advertising banners (építési reklámháló) would all be removed from the list of permitted advertising formats, effectively eliminating these widely used installation types entirely. 
• Ad surfaces would be capped at 15m², and formats smaller than a citylight (CLP) poster, which is 118.5 cm by 175 cm, would no longer be permitted unless a government decree provides otherwise. 
• Political campaign posters could no longer be placed on lighting poles, telephone poles, traffic signs, road safety equipment or trees. 
• New procedural rules concerning townscape permits for ad installations would be valid for five years with renewal required at least 30 days before expiry. 
• Non-compliant installations would need to be removed or adapted by 30 September 2026. 

Local governments gain new powers

Local governments would regain control over approving advertising placements through a “townscape” notification procedure, a competence previously exercised by district offices. Local councils could also designate additional ad-free zones by decree. In the capital, the Municipality of Budapest would be empowered to set city-wide advertising restrictions. 

Importantly, the enforcement regime would also shift. If non-compliant advertising installations are not removed by the 30 September 2026 deadline, the local government could demand immediate removal from both the installation owner and the property owner, and could impose fines on both in case of non-compliance. Owners of installations that can be brought into compliance through modification or modernisation would be required to initiate the townscape notification procedure by 30 September 2026.

What should you do?

The bill has been assigned docket number T/122 and its adoption is likely. Companies active in outdoor advertising, media services and election campaigning in Hungary should monitor its progress closely and assess how the proposed changes could affect their operations.

For more information, contact your regular CMS advisor or the CMS experts who contributed to this article.

The article was co-authored by Péter Virányi.