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02/08/2024 4:19 pm

Political Sign Regulations

Regulations are in place for political signs that are placed on private property.

Updated: Feb 8, 2024

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Residential Zoning Districts Commercial Zoning Districts North Carolina Law Violations

Residential Zoning Districts

  • Signs may not exceed fifteen (15) square feet in area and three and one-half (3.5) feet in height.
  • No premises (subdivided lot) may contain more than sixty (60) square feet of such signage.
  • Signs on private property are not governed by the state statute. They are covered under the UDO Sec. 7.3.13. G 
    "G. Miscellaneous (Omnibus) Signs
    Each site that is not allowed a wall sign or an on-premise sign or off-premises ground sign is allowed to contain a maximum amount of signage of 60 square feet, provided that, no sign is more than 15 square feet in area and 3½ feet in height."
  • Can signs be put in my yard in the 10' right-of-way without my permission?
    The state statute, G.S. 136-32 states in section (d) 
    "Sign placement – The permittee must obtain the permission of any property owner of a residence, business, or religious institution fronting the right-of-way where a sign would be erected." If permission was not granted, the sign can be removed or reported.

Commercial Zoning Districts

Developed property

  • Political signs are treated as information signs (As defined by the UDO an information sign is: "An information sign is an on-premise sign containing no other commercial message, copy, announcement or decoration other than instruction or direction to the public. Such signs include but are not limited to the following: identifying restrooms, public telephones, automated teller machines, for lease, for sale, walkways, entrance and exit drives, freight entrances and traffic direction.") and may not exceed six square feet in area and three and one-half feet in height.
  • No premises (subdivided lot) may contain more than thirty-two square feet of information signage.

Undeveloped property

  • No sign may exceed thirty two square feet in area and fifteen feet in height.
  • No premises (subdivided lot) may contain more than sixty square feet of such signage.

North Carolina Law

The General Assembly of North Carolina passed Senate Bill 315 in August of 2011 that permits campaign signs in the right-of-way. Signs are permitted during the period beginning on the 30th day before the beginning date of "one-stop" early voting and ending the 10th day after the primary or election day. (There is early voting in effect for primaries as well as the general election in November. The early voting for the primary election begins on February 15 so the signs would be allowed from 30 days prior to that until 10 days after the election which would be March 15.) No campaign sign should exceed six square feet in area or 42" in height. 

It is a class 3 misdemeanor for a person to steal, deface, vandalize or unlawfully remove a political sign that is lawfully placed.

Violations

After the time that the signs are permitted to be out has lapsed, we consider them abandoned property and remove them from the public right-of-way.

Violations of political signs can be reported to:

Tige Phyfer
919-306-2235
tige.phyfer@raleighnc.gov

or 

David Reyes 
919-524-6684
David.reyes@raleighnc.gov

Contact

 

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