When do political signs need to come down in North Carolina?

HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — With the primaries behind us, you might be driving past political signs in people’s yards and along the highways and wondering when those will disappear — before they reappear in time for November’s general election, that is.

There are a few laws regulating the display and use of political signs along highway right-of-ways. Any sign placed in a highway right-of-way must be further than three feet from the edge of the road, cannot obstruct a driver’s vision at an intersection, can’t be more than 42 inches above the pavement, can’t be bigger than 864 square inches and can’t block other political signs.

If there are nearby businesses, religious organizations and homes “fronting the right‑of‑way where a sign would be erected,” the person hoping to place a sign in that right-of-way must get the permission of the nearby property owners.

Signs can’t go up any earlier than the 30th of the month before early voting starts. For instance, early voting started in North Carolina on Feb. 15, which means that signs could legally be put up in the right-of-way of North Carolina’s highway system beginning on Jan. 30.

Signs have to come down 10 days after the election, which would be March 14 for the primary election. Any sign not removed within 30 days of the election is considered abandoned and can be lawfully removed.

Anyone who tries to remove a sign before that 30-day window could face charges, because according to the North Carolina statute, “it is a Class 3 misdemeanor for a person to steal, deface, vandalize, or unlawfully remove a political sign that is lawfully placed.”

For the general election, signs can begin going up in right-of-ways on Oct. 30 and should be removed by Nov. 15, per state law.

Many cities and counties defer to the above state statute, but anyone looking to put up a sign should check local regulations for where you live. Different counties may have more specific regulations for signs, such as Guilford County which has an ordinance that states that signs on private property must come down within a week of the election. Homeowner’s Associations are also allowed to regulate signs in North Carolina.