Political Yard Sign Rules – Where Can I Put Political Signs?

The rules of political yard signs vary from state to state. In Texas, an election sign qualifies for the exemption in Transportation Code Section 391.005 only when it sits on private property, goes up no earlier than the 90th day before the election, comes down no later than the 10th day after it, is built from lightweight material, and is 50 square feet or smaller. For the November 3, 2026 general election, that window runs August 5 through November 13, 2026.

Just because you must wait until 90 days before an election doesn’t mean you can’t have your campaign signs ready to go. With our knowledge of corrugated plastic yard letters and custom signage in Houston, the Houston Sign team can help create your signage before it’s time to distribute.

Campaign teams are frequently asking – where can I put political signs? Learn all about the essential political yard signs rules so you’ll be prepared when the time is right.

Posting Political Signs on Public Property

Placing campaign signs on public property is illegal. The Texas DOT further explains that it is illegal to place a political sign anywhere in the right-of-way or on any objects within the right of way, such as telephone poles, trees or traffic signs.

Placing campaign signs on public property in Texas is also illegal. Not only are you not allowed to place political signs on public property, but campaign signs on school property are also illegal, whether the school is public, private or a charter. School employees and the school grounds are meant to remain neutral and should not advocate for one candidate over another.

Posting Campaign Signs on Private Property

Before placing any campaign signs on private property, get the owner’s permission first. If the private property where you want to place a sign is within a subdivision or governed by an owners’ association, check with the association as they oftentimes have additional rules for campaign signs.

Any political advertising sign must carry the notice required by Texas Election Code Section 259.001: “NOTICE: IT IS A VIOLATION OF STATE LAW (CHAPTERS 392 AND 393, TRANSPORTATION CODE), TO PLACE THIS SIGN IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OF A HIGHWAY.” The requirement reaches whoever prints the sign, not only the campaign, so confirm the notice appears on your artwork. The Texas Ethics Commission political advertising guide covers the full disclosure rules.

Houston Sign can help you create your custom election signs.

Political Signs at Polling Places

While the general thought may be that placing campaign signs near a polling place would help turn late undecideds into voters, the law prohibits this. Texas code states that there shouldn’t be any political signs at polling places—specifically within 100 feet of a polling location—when voting is taking place. Because of the many places allowing early voting, it would be safe to avoid placing political signs at polling places leading up to voting as well.

Is It Illegal to Take Down Campaign Signs?

Rest assured that if you’ve placed a campaign sign within the right of way or if it’s posing a traffic hazard, Texas DOT will kindly remove it for you without notice and may even charge the campaign for the removal.

Many of the laws pertaining to political signs vary from state to state or city/county to the next. One thing is clear, though. Removing someone else’s campaign sign is not a First Amendment question, because the First Amendment restricts government action rather than what private individuals do to each other. It is a property question: taking a sign can be theft under Texas Penal Code Section 31.03, and damaging one can be criminal mischief under Section 28.03. If you do find a campaign sign in an illegal spot, don’t remove it yourself as removing campaign signs is illegal. Instead, notify your local police of the infraction and let them handle it.

Contact Houston sign today to request a quote on your custom campaign sign and confidently place your Houston yard signs where you know they’re allowed.

Texas Campaign Sign Rules: Frequently Asked Questions

Verified against Texas statute in July 2026. Rules change, so confirm current requirements with your local jurisdiction before placing signs.

When can I legally put up campaign signs in Texas for the 2026 election?

For the November 3, 2026 Texas general election, political signs may go up on private property beginning August 5, 2026, and must come down by November 13, 2026. Texas Transportation Code Section 391.005 exempts election signs from highway beautification permitting when the sign sits on private property, goes up no earlier than the 90th day before the election, comes down no later than the 10th day after it, is built from lightweight material, and is 50 square feet or smaller.

Where can I legally place a campaign sign in Texas?

On private property, with the owner’s permission. Placing a sign on or within a public road right of way is prohibited, and that includes attaching signs to trees, utility poles, and traffic signs, under Texas Transportation Code Section 393.002. Inside incorporated city limits, the city’s own ordinance applies on top of state law, so check it before placement.

What happens if my campaign sign ends up in the right of way?

It can be removed without notice, and you can be fined and billed. Placing a sign in violation of Chapter 393 is a Class C misdemeanor under Section 393.005. A district, county, or municipal attorney may also sue for a civil penalty of 500 to 1,000 dollars per violation, with a separate penalty for each day the violation continues, under Section 393.007. TxDOT removes right of way signs without prior notice and charges the removal cost to the sign owner.

Does Texas law require specific wording printed on a campaign sign?

Yes. Texas Election Code Section 259.001 requires every political advertising sign to carry this exact notice:

NOTICE: IT IS A VIOLATION OF STATE LAW (CHAPTERS 392 AND 393, TRANSPORTATION CODE), TO PLACE THIS SIGN IN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OF A HIGHWAY.

The requirement reaches the printer, not only the campaign. Contracting to print a political advertising sign without the notice is a Class C misdemeanor, so check that any sign you order carries it.

How big can a Texas campaign sign be?

There are two different limits, and the stricter one applies to you. Under Transportation Code Section 391.005, an election sign must be 50 square feet or smaller and built from lightweight material. If the property sits in a homeowners association, Election Code Section 259.002 lets the association cap signs at four feet by six feet, which is 24 square feet, less than half the state ceiling. A standard 18 by 24 inch coroplast yard sign is 3 square feet, comfortably inside both.

Can my HOA stop me from putting a political sign in my yard?

Not during the election window, but it can regulate how the sign looks and where it sits. Under Texas Election Code Section 259.002, a property owners association may not enforce or adopt a restrictive covenant prohibiting an owner from displaying a political sign on their own property from the 90th day before the election through the 10th day after it. For the November 3, 2026 election, that window runs August 5 through November 13.

An association may still require that the sign be ground mounted, which means it can bar signs in windows or on the house, and may limit you to one sign per candidate or measure. An association may also prohibit a sign that:

• is larger than four feet by six feet
• contains roofing material, siding, paving materials, flora, balloons or lights, or a similar building, landscaping, or nonstandard decorative component
• is attached to plant material, a traffic control device, a light, a trailer, a vehicle, or any other existing structure or object
• includes painting of architectural surfaces
• threatens public health or safety, or violates a law
• contains language or graphics that would be offensive to the ordinary person
• is accompanied by music, other sounds, or streamers, or is otherwise distracting to motorists

How close to a polling place can a campaign sign be?

No closer than 100 feet from an outside door through which a voter may enter the building, during the voting period. Under Texas Election Code Section 61.003, a person commits an offense by loitering or electioneering within that distance, and the statute defines electioneering to expressly include the posting, use, or distribution of political signs or literature. The offense is a Class C misdemeanor.

Note that the 100 feet runs from the building’s outside entrance doors, not from the property line or the room where voting happens. Polling places are set up with 100 foot distance markers posted at the surrounding outside entrances. Outside that marker, a public building used as a polling place may not prohibit electioneering, though it may set reasonable time, place, and manner rules.

If my campaign sign is confiscated, can I get it back?

Sometimes, but usually not for a standard yard sign. When a sheriff or constable confiscates a sign, they must notify a known owner by certified mail within 10 days, and the owner may reclaim it before the 21st day after that notice if all fines are paid, under Texas Transportation Code Section 393.003. However, a sign worth less than 25 dollars may be discarded with no notice at all under Section 393.004(d), which covers most coroplast yard signs.

Am I liable if a volunteer puts my campaign sign somewhere illegal?

There is a statutory defense for the candidate. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 393.006, it is a defense to prosecution that the defendant was a candidate for elective public office and the sign was placed by someone other than the defendant in connection with that campaign. Note what the defense does not do: it protects the candidate, not the volunteer who placed the sign.