How Winston-Salem Handles Sign Regulations: A Practical Guide

Winston-Salem maintains 129 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with sign regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Winston-Salem falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Political Signs

Political signs in Winston-Salem are regulated under NCGS 136-32 on state and federal rights-of-way and locally under the Unified Development Ordinances. Residential political signs are generally allowed without a permit on private property 45 days before an election.

Key details: Private Property: Allowed, no permit. State Roads: NCGS 136-32 controls. State ROW Window: 30 days before early voting. Post-Election: Remove within 10 days. Prohibited: Utility poles, medians.

Signs in prohibited locations are removed by Public Works without penalty to the candidate. Persistent violations or signs blocking traffic visibility can trigger $100 civil penalties to the responsible party.

Winston-Salem is more permissive than most cities when it comes to political signs. That said, there are still limits.

Garage Sale Signs

Garage sale signs in Winston-Salem may not be placed on utility poles, traffic signs, or in public rights-of-way. Signs on private property are allowed during the sale and must be removed within 24 hours after the sale ends.

Key details: Private Property: Allowed during sale. Off-Site: Owner consent required. Size: 4 sq ft maximum. Poles and ROW: Prohibited. Removal: Within 24 hours after sale.

Illegally posted signs are removed without notice. Repeat offenders may be billed $25 per sign removed. Citations up to $100 can apply for flagrant or repeated violations.

Holiday Displays

Winston-Salem allows temporary holiday displays and seasonal decorations on private residential property without a permit. Lighting must not create a traffic hazard, and inflatables must not encroach into the public right-of-way.

Key details: Residential: No permit required. Duration: Reasonable post-holiday removal. Light Trespass: Avoid neighbor nuisance. Right-of-Way: No encroachment. HOA: Often stricter.

No specific holiday sign fines. Abandoned, damaged, or hazardous displays can trigger Minimum Housing Code enforcement with $100 per day civil penalties after notice.

Winston-Salem is more permissive than most cities when it comes to holiday displays. That said, there are still limits.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.