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Where can you legally put campaign signs?

Private yards with permission are almost always fine. Road right-of-way almost never is. Here's how to tell the difference, plus the HOA and take-down rules that trip up campaigns, with Florida specifics.

Published Wed, Oct 7, 2026 · Updated Sat, Oct 17, 2026

• Yard signs
• Florida
• Early voting

The short answer

Put campaign signs on private property, with the owner's permission. Keep them off public road right-of-way, utility poles, traffic signs and public property unless your local code says otherwise. Stay outside the no-campaigning zone around polling places, and plan to take every sign down soon after the election.

Private property: ask first, every time

A homeowner or business owner can almost always agree to a sign on their own land. Get a clear yes before you place one, and keep a list of addresses so your team knows where signs belong and where to collect them later. If you rent, the lease may have its own rules.

Cities can regulate the size, number and timing of signs, but they generally can't ban residents from displaying political signs at home. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a near-total ban in City of Ladue v. Gilleo (1994), and in Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015) it held that sign rules which treat signs differently based on their message face strict scrutiny. That's why many cities now regulate "temporary signs" by size and placement instead of singling out political ones.

Public right-of-way: the most common mistake

The grassy strip between the sidewalk and the street, the median and the shoulder of the road usually belong to the city, county or state, even when they look like part of someone's front yard. Most jurisdictions prohibit political signs there, and road crews pull them.

How to spot right-of-way:

• Utility poles, fire hydrants and sidewalks usually sit inside it. A sign between the sidewalk and the street is almost always on it.
• Where there's no sidewalk, the right-of-way often extends several feet back from the edge of the pavement.
• When in doubt, set the sign well back toward the house and ask the owner where their property line is.

In Florida: state law bars political campaign advertisements on or above any state or county road right-of-way (Fla. Stat. 106.1435), and signs are prohibited on state highway right-of-way under chapter 479. The Florida Department of Transportation removes illegal signs from state roads and holds them at its maintenance yards. FDOT publishes a brochure that shows how to recognize the right-of-way line, and it's worth giving to every volunteer who places signs. Cities and counties can add stricter rules of their own.

HOAs and condo associations

A homeowners association is a private organization, so the First Amendment generally doesn't limit it the way it limits a city. If the covenants or rules restrict signs, a homeowner who puts one up may get a violation notice.

A few states protect political signs in HOAs during election season, including Texas, Arizona and California, usually with limits on size, number and timing. Florida has no general statute protecting political yard signs in HOAs. A clearly written, content-neutral sign rule is generally enforceable there, so check the community's documents before you promise a supporter a sign. Where a yard is off-limits, a window sign or a bumper sticker may still be allowed.

Polling places and early-voting sites

States set a zone around polling places where campaigning isn't allowed. In Florida, no one may solicit voters within 150 feet of the entrance to a polling place, an early-voting site or a ballot drop box (Fla. Stat. 102.031), and the law defines solicitation broadly enough to include handing out campaign material. Supervisors of elections usually mark the boundary on site, so set up feather flags, A-frames and volunteers outside it.

Other states use different distances. Your county election office can tell you the rule and whether signs need to come down overnight.

Taking signs down

Many states and cities set a deadline for removing campaign signs after the election.

In Florida, each candidate must make a good-faith effort to remove all political campaign advertisements within 30 days after withdrawing, being eliminated or being elected. A local government can remove leftover signs and charge the candidate for the cost, and cities can set stricter rules (Fla. Stat. 106.1435). The officer you qualify with must notify you of this in writing.

The easy way to meet any deadline is the address list you built when placing signs. Assign volunteers by neighborhood, collect signs the week after the election, and store the good ones. Wire H-stakes and corrugated plastic signs often last into a runoff or the next campaign.

A placement checklist for volunteers

1. Owner said yes, and the address is on the sign list.
2. Sign sits on private property, set back from the sidewalk or road edge.
3. Nothing on utility poles, traffic signs, trees on public land or medians.
4. Driver sight lines at corners and driveways stay clear.
5. Outside the no-campaigning zone at polling and early-voting sites.
6. Every sign carries the required "Paid for by" disclaimer. See disclaimer basics.

Quick answers

Can I put campaign signs on the side of the road? Usually not. The road shoulder and the strip by the street are typically public right-of-way, where political signs are prohibited and removed.

Can my HOA ban political signs? Often yes, if the rule is clearly written and applies to all signs. A few states (not Florida) limit HOA sign bans during election season.

How far from a polling place do signs have to be? It depends on the state. In Florida the no-solicitation zone is 150 feet from the entrance.

How long do I have to remove signs after the election? It varies. In Florida, candidates must make a good-faith effort to remove them within 30 days.

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