Is it Illegal to Remove Political Signs | Learn the Laws, Do’s and Don’ts

In this blog post, we’ll be answering the question everyone asks, is it illegal to remove political signs? We’ll also answer some other common questions about removing political signs, so stay tuned! Read on to find out if you can remove those pesky political signs or if you should just leave them alone. You might be surprised by what you learn!

Are there any Laws on Removing Political Yard Signs?

Most states do not have laws against removing political yard signs. However, there are some exceptions. You should avoid taking down any signs if you receive a direct request from a candidate or their team, as they could consider that action harassment.

In most cases, candidates will respect your right to freedom of speech, but they might threaten legal action if you don’t comply with their requests. Be careful when talking about candidates with your family members who support different candidates; such conversations can lead to conflicts and create legal issues for those involved.

If your neighbor’s sign is bothering you daily, consider asking them politely if they would be willing to move it to another location on their property or wait until Election Day is over before bringing up your complaint.

What are Some Important things to know about Removing Political Yard Signs?

If you want your yard sign back, contact your local city hall or police department. This may not be possible if a homeowner doesn’t have their address listed on a political sign.

Furthermore, be aware that someone stealing a yard sign is not always illegal. It will depend on who owns that sign. It may be protected by property laws and civil rights, meaning that you could face legal action for removing such a sign from your property or someone else’s property without their permission.

However, it is also considered theft and sometimes trespassing. If you see anyone taking down your neighbor’s sign or putting up one of their own without permission, contact law enforcement so they can take appropriate action for your particular situation.

When is it Acceptable to Remove Someone’s Sign from their Property?

There are instances when removing someone’s sign is legally acceptable. It may also be legal if you have permission from someone with authority over a piece of property that you want to put your sign-on on. If you’re unsure whether you’re committing a crime, ask local law enforcement for guidance.

Most officers will be happy to tell you whether removing an existing campaign sign is illegal or not. Many police departments keep track of such things as people who vandalize other people’s campaign materials for fun or politics-related reasons often become criminals. If taking down a sign is wrong, asking about it could put you at risk of criminal charges.

Things to Do When Find a Sign on your Property

You can contact your city council representative or write a letter to your mayor. You can also contact your lawyer. Several cities have ordinances that regulate how often campaign signs can be placed on private property.

Removal may be permitted with authorization from a law enforcement official, but removing a sign may not be legal if you did not put up that particular sign in an area of heavy foot traffic or high visibility. There are even court cases where

People were charged with theft for removing someone else’s signs because they were acting like they were trying to hide their actions by removing them while walking away quickly so no one would see them take them down.

How do I get rid of my Sign once an Election is Over?

After the election season, many people look forward to getting rid of their yard signs. However, depending on where you live, you may have to wait for an extended time before you can safely take down your sign. The rules depend on local regulations, but typically, these signs cannot be removed until after voting has ended—which could be anywhere from one week to two months after Election Day.

If a campaign chooses not to pick up its sign, contact your local city office or municipal representative and find out how long you’ll need to wait before taking down your sign.

Things You Should Consider When You Choose a Sign Supplier

Signs are crucial when you want to bring a specific message into your market. When you choose a sign supplier, there are some things that you should consider. Aside from price, we have listed below some factors that might help you select a good one.

Choose Someone Who Has Experience: When creating great-looking signage, there is no better way than hiring an experienced company. A signage expert can create banners, posters, digital prints, vehicle wraps, or any other advertisement that will boost your brand’s visibility on different levels.

Therefore, before making a choice, ask how long they have been offering these services and what their past customers had to say about them.

Understanding People around You

With a quick Google search, you’ll find many sources telling you that removing someone else’s campaign or yard sign is illegal and that those who do so are likely facing a hefty fine; however, if you dig deeper into these sources, the reference sign laws without providing any information on what these laws entail.

There are also resources available online discussing how people have been arrested for destroying another candidate’s sign—but upon further investigation, you learn that there were other charges involved besides destruction of property.

While we can’t advise how others may react when faced with an offensive sign near their home or business, we can tell you what your legal rights are should someone be illegally tampering with your election signs. 

Free Speech VS Private Property Rights, Who Wins?

One of today’s hottest debates—largely being fought over social media—is whether or not it’s OK for people to take down campaign signs on other people’s property. This has become a real problem for candidates. Their supporters often feel passionate about supporting a candidate or an issue, so they put yard signs on other people’s property.

When someone else takes those down, tempers flare, especially if there is no trespassing sign posted on that property. But under what circumstances is taking down a sign considered legal? Should you be charged with theft if you remove someone else’s political campaign sign from their lawn without permission?

Removing Signs Can Be Very Political, So Be Careful!

All politics aside, removing or defacing a political sign can lead to serious consequences. In many states, defacing or destroying a campaign sign is against state law—it’s only legal if you have permission from the candidate or campaign.

It’s also best to avoid stealing any campaign signs: If someone catches you with their sign, they may file charges with local police even if you didn’t know what you were doing was illegal.

Conclusion

Removing other people’s political signs from private property is not against federal or state law. However, there are some regulations on how these signs can be displayed.

Political campaign sign ordinances vary widely by location. Still, they often cover issues such as size, number of signs, placement rules (example: can a sign be posted right on an individual lawn?) and rules about where a sign may be placed.

Almost all ordinances have a common failure to address the removal of campaign signage; if a town’s ordinance allows five-foot-tall billboards that advertise politician A, removing them would appear to fall under First Amendment rights.