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Sign Regulations

Sign Regulations in Daly City, CA: What Residents Actually Need to Know

By CityRuleLookup Editorial Team

If you live in Daly City or are thinking about moving there, sign regulations are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Daly City has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of sign regulations, and some of them might surprise you.

Political Signs

Daly City regulates signs through Municipal Code Chapter 17.32 (Title 17, Zoning). Temporary noncommercial and political signs on private residential property are broadly protected under California Civil Code 1940.4 (tenant right to display) and Civil Code 4710 (HOA owners), and posting on public property or in the public right-of-way is restricted under DCMC 17.32.160 (general regulations) and Caltrans rules near state highways (Bus. & Prof. Code 5405.3). Signs near polling places are restricted by California Elections Code 18370.

Key details: City sign code: DCMC Chapter 17.32 (Title 17 Zoning) — DCMC 17.32.120 exempt signs, 17.32.160 general regs, 17.32.240 penalties. Public right-of-way: No signs on utility poles, traffic signs, medians, sidewalks, or other public property (DCMC 17.32.160). Tenant protection: Cal. Civ. Code 1940.4 — landlord may not ban; sign limit 6 sq ft, posted ≤90 days before election, removed ≤15 days after. HOA protection: Cal. Civ. Code 4710 — HOA may not ban noncommercial signs; max 9 sq ft signs, 15 sq ft flags/banners. State-highway visibility: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 5405.3 — max 32 sq ft, 90 days before to 10 days after election, owner permission required.

Posting political/campaign signs on utility poles, street trees, streetlights, traffic signs, medians, or in the sidewalk/parkway right-of-way violates DCMC 17.32.160; city Code Enforcement may remove unlawfully posted signs and cite the candidate or campaign as the responsible party under DCMC 17.32.240. State-highway-visible signs over 32 sq ft, posted earlier than 90 days before the election, or left up more than 10 days after violate Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 5405.3 and are subject to Caltrans removal and civil penalties. Electioneering signs within 100 feet of a polling place or drop box violate Cal. Elec. Code 18370 (misdemeanor). A landlord who removes a tenant's lawful political sign violates Cal. Civ. Code 1940.4 and can be sued for actual damages plus a $250 civil penalty per violation.

The rules around political signs in Daly City lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Garage Sale Signs

Daly City regulates garage sales under Municipal Code Chapter 8.44 (Title 8, Health and Sanitation), which includes a dedicated signs section at DCMC 8.44.060. A garage sale permit is required (the application is available from the City Clerk), and signs are restricted as to size, placement, and removal. Sign placement on utility poles, street trees, and public right-of-way is also prohibited by the general sign code at DCMC 17.32.160.

Key details: Permit required: Garage Sale Permit from Daly City City Clerk — application on dalycity.org. Local code: DCMC Chapter 8.44 GARAGE SALES; sign provisions in DCMC 8.44.060. Sign placement: On the sale property only; no public right-of-way, no utility poles, no street trees, no traffic signs (DCMC 17.32.160). Off-premises directional signs: Generally not permitted in the public right-of-way under DCMC 17.32.160. Removal: Signs must come down at close of sale (DCMC 8.44.060).

Posting garage sale signs on utility poles, street trees, traffic signs, streetlights, public benches, or in the sidewalk/median right-of-way violates DCMC 17.32.160 and is subject to removal by Public Works or Code Enforcement and a citation under DCMC 17.32.240. Holding a sale without the required permit, or failing to remove signs after the sale, violates DCMC Chapter 8.44 and is an infraction. Stapling or nailing signs to utility poles can also draw fines from PG&E, which considers it trespass on PG&E property. Repeated unpermitted sales or persistent right-of-way sign posting may escalate to administrative citations.

Holiday Displays

Daly City does not have a dedicated holiday-lights or holiday-display ordinance. Temporary seasonal lights and decorations on private residential property are generally exempt from sign-permit requirements under Municipal Code Chapter 17.32 (Signs), but they must still comply with the nuisance rules in DCMC Title 8 (Health and Sanitation), the noise ordinance for any sound effects, the electrical code adopted in DCMC Title 15 (Buildings and Construction), and right-of-way restrictions in DCMC 17.32.160. There is no state preemption of local holiday-display regulation.

Key details: Local holiday-display ordinance: None — Daly City has no dedicated holiday-lights/decoration code. Permit required?: No — residential holiday decorations are not 'signs' under DCMC Ch. 17.32 and need no sign permit. Public right-of-way: Decorations may not be placed in or across the sidewalk/parkway/median (DCMC 17.32.160). Noise from displays: Subject to Daly City noise ordinance (DCMC Title 8/9) — no unreasonably loud or persistent sound. Electrical safety: Must meet California Electrical Code (adopted in DCMC Title 15); no cords across public sidewalks.

Decorations placed in the public right-of-way, attached to streetlights, traffic signs, or street trees, or that block the sidewalk, violate DCMC 17.32.160 and may be removed and cited. Displays generating loud or persistent noise violate the citywide noise rules in DCMC Title 8 / Title 9. Unsafe electrical installations (overloaded circuits, cords across public sidewalks) violate the California Electrical Code adopted in DCMC Title 15. An HOA that bans a religious symbol on the owner's separate interest (e.g., a mezuzah on a doorpost) violates Cal. Civ. Code 4706.

The rules around holiday displays in Daly City lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Daly City gives residents more room on sign regulations. 2 of the 3 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

These rules come from Daly City's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.