Street and Building Name FAQs

General Information

• How many names can I propose for a street, building or estate in an application?

  You may propose up to 3 names. You will need to rank the proposed names in order of your preference and provide supporting reasons for each proposed name.

• Will there be a penalty imposed for changing a name after the SBNB has given approval?

  There is no penalty for changing a street, building or estate name after approval has been obtained.

Building and Estate Names

  
• What are the types of buildings and estates that require naming approval from the SBNB?

  The following buildings and estates come under the purview of the SBNB and require naming approval:

  • Residential buildings
  • Commercial buildings
  • Industrial buildings
  • Theme parks
  • Museums
  • Arts venues
  • Stadiums
  • Buildings used for community service / activity
  • Hospitals and healthcare facilities
  • Mixed-use developments (Definition: A development with 2 or more approved uses listed in this section)

• What are the types of buildings and estates that do not require naming approval from the SBNB?

  The following building and estates do not come under the purview of SBNB and hence do not require approval from SBNB.

  • Shophouse developments with less than 5 units
  • Residential developments with less than 5 units
  • Places of worship
  • Golf & Recreation clubs
  • Educational institutions (approval to be obtained from Ministry of Education)
  • Hotels (approval to be obtained from Hotel Licensing Board)
  • Sports and recreation facilities, except stadiums (approval to be obtained from Sport Singapore)

• What are the key naming guidelines?

  We encourage applicants to read through the naming principles and guidelines in the Handbook on Guidelines for Naming of Buildings and Estates. Some of the key guidelines are shown below:
  
  A good name

  1. Fits the location and environment of the development
  2. Fits the size and type of the development
  3. Avoids confusion with another development in another part of Singapore
  4. Retains the history of the building or the area
  5. Is reasonably short and easy to pronounce, spell and remember
  6. Is unique

  Names to avoid

  1. Names that contain specific claims
  2. Names which infringe on the trade names or trademarks of other parties
  3. Names which may be deemed controversial or offensive
  4. Names of persons, living or dead, unless for special reasons
  5. Names of national institutions/symbols, public office and international organisations such as Singapore, National, Raffles, Merlion, ASEAN, APEC or Temasek

• What are the submission requirements for applying for a building or estate name?

  You will need to furnish:

  1. The proposed names and the reasons
  2. Any other documents to support your proposed names

• Where can I find information on all existing building names in Singapore?

  You can search for existing building names.

• Can I submit the proposed building or estate name in both English and Chinese together?

  Yes, you may do so. Alternatively, you may submit the Chinese name after the English building or estate name has been approved.

• Can an existing building or estate name be changed or withdrawn?

  Such applications will be considered only if there are merits to do so, such as a change in ownership or the anchor tenant.

• Can a tenant of a building make an application to name the building?

  A tenant can submit an application if consent from the building owner has been given.

• Can a tenant or licensee of a State Property apply for a building or estate name?

  A tenant or licensee of a State Property has to enclose a letter of no objection from the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) on the proposed building or estate name when making the application.

• Is it compulsory to display the approved building name on the building?

  You have to display the approved building name in a conspicuous position on the building. Failure to do so is considered an offence under the Property Tax Act.

• Is estate naming (e.g. Sennett Estate) under the purview of the SBNB?

  Yes, the naming of housing estates is under the purview of the SBNB.

Street Names

  
• What are the types of streets that require naming approval from SBNB?

  All public streets, including flyovers, viaducts, underpasses, circuses, vehicular bridges, pedestrian malls and private roads which are non-gated and freely accessible to the public and via public transport (e.g. roads within a university campus) come under the purview of the SBNB and will require naming approval. However, if the road length is less than 60m, it need not be named.

• What are the types of streets that do not require naming approval from SBNB?

  Service roads, access roads, driveways and back lanes are not under the purview of the SBNB and hence, do not require naming approval.

• What are the key naming guidelines?

  We encourage all applicants to read through the detailed naming principles and guidelines in the Handbook on Guidelines for Naming of Streets. Some of the key guidelines include:
  
  A good name

  1. Provides clear location or direction cues to locate properties and essential services quickly and efficiently
  2. Reflects the physical attributes or design configuration of the streets
  3. Avoids confusion with another street name or building / estate name in another part of Singapore
  4. Retains the history of the area
  5. Names should be kept reasonably short and easy to pronounce, spell and remember

  Names to avoid

  1. Names of any specific development where there are other developments located along the same street
  2. Names of persons, companies, associations and communities
  3. Names which may be deemed controversial or offensive

• What are the submission requirements for applying for a street name?

  You will need to furnish:

  1. The proposed street name and the supporting reasons.
  2. Dimensions of street (length and width) and the road category of the street to be named
  3. Any other documents to support your proposed names

• Where can I find information on all existing street names in Singapore?

  You can search for existing street names.

• Why can’t I apply for a Chinese name for streets?

  Applications for street names are not available in Chinese. The SBNB will liaise with the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) to translate the street name into Chinese based on the approved English street names.

• Can an existing street name be changed or withdrawn?

  Such applications will not be considered, especially if they affect numerous existing addresses as it would cause too much inconvenience to the residences and/or businesses along the road.

• Upon obtaining the approval for the street name from the SBNB, will I be required to inform other government agencies?

  No, SBNB will inform the relevant government agencies.

• Where can the public provide feedback regarding public roads and directional signage?

  As public roads come under the purview of the Land Transport Authority (LTA), members of the public can contact LTA directly on such matters, including issues regarding directional signage to guide the public. For suggestions on naming or re-naming of public roads, LTA will evaluate their merit before proposing the names to the SBNB for further consideration.