TEXAS, USA — Nothing spells election season like political campaign signs on street corners.
The VERIFY team is getting a lot of questions about where candidates are allowed to advertise in Texas.
You’ll likely find campaign signs on telephone poles, on street corners, and scattered throughout your neighborhood.
Linda asked the VERIFY team, “Is it illegal to put political ad signs on public right of ways, such as medians, side of roads, trees?”
We have two sources for this: The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), which is the agency that controls the location of commercial signage, and Texas Transportation Code Chapter 394.
TxDOT addresses campaign signs on its website.
According to the agency, it is illegal to place signs on or within a right of way or anywhere that poses a safety hazard. That includes trees and telephone poles.
Campaign signs can be placed on private property with the owner’s permission. That covers homes and businesses, but that is about it.
According to Transportation Code 394.021, if you do place a sign somewhere else without a permit, it “is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine between $500 to $1,000 per day.”
So, we can VERIFY that it is illegal for candidates to put ads on public right of ways.
It is always a good idea to check with your local authorities before you post a campaign sign. If you put it somewhere that is not allowed, it will be removed without notice and you could be charged a removal fee.