New legislation aims to protect small businesses from getting penalized for having signs without a permit.

Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the Awnings Act, which will relieve stores of outstanding fines, lessen permit fees for putting up new signs and put a two-year hold on the Department of Buildings issuing violations for any sign or awning violation.

The law will also create a task force that will look into current regulations to see if they should change.

An employee of Mubarz Travel Agency in Van Nest says small businesses already have it hard in the city, so this is great news.

City council members, including Councilman Mark Gjonaj, pushed for the legislation.

The Awnings Act will go into effect on Monday.

Penalties will only be waived for small businesses who received a violation on or after Dec. 28, 2017.