Minnehaha County, SD Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Minnehaha County's regulatory authority over signs in unincorporated areas flows from SDCL Chapter 11-2 (County Zoning) and SDCL Chapter 31-32 (County highways). Under federal First Amendment doctrine (Reed v. Town of Gilbert, 576 U.S. 155 (2015)), the County may not regulate political signs more strictly than other temporary signs based on content; the County Zoning Ordinance therefore treats political signs as temporary, content-neutral 'temporary signs' subject to general size limits (commonly 6 sq ft in residential and 32 sq ft in commercial/agricultural districts), setback from property lines, and a requirement that the sign be removed within 7-10 days after the election. Federal and state highway right-of-way is controlled by SDCL 31-32-10 (offense to deposit objects on highway) and the SD Highway Beautification Act; the SD Department of Transportation routinely removes political signs from state and federal highway rights-of-way. For unincorporated parcels the County Planning & Zoning Department at 415 N Dakota Ave, Sioux Falls, is the enforcement contact. Inside Sioux Falls, Brandon, Hartford, Dell Rapids, Crooks, Garretson, Humboldt, or Valley Springs, the relevant municipal sign code controls, not county rules.