Bellevue, WA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- BCC 22B.10.120(F)
- Removal deadline
- 7 days after the election
- Right-of-way size cap
- 4 sq ft, 5 ft height
- Primary winners
- May stay until 7 days after general
- Utility pole/public building
- Prohibited
- Responsible party
- Campaign officer/responsible official
Summary
Bellevue allows political signs on private property year-round under BCC 22B.10.120(F), but signs promoting candidates or ballot issues must come down within seven days after the election, and signs in the right-of-way are capped at four square feet and five feet tall.
F. Political Signs. 1. Political signs promoting or publicizing candidates for public office or issues that are to be voted upon in a general or special election may be displayed on private property. Such signs shall be removed within seven days following the election; provided, that signs promoting successful candidates in a primary election may remain displayed on private property until seven days following the immediately subsequent general election. 2. Political Signs Not Allowed on Public Utility Poles or Public Buildings or Structures. It is unlawful for any person to paste, paint, affix or fasten a political sign on any utility pole or on any public building or structure. 3. Political Signs Within Public Right-of-Way. Political signs may be posted within public right-of-way only if the sign does not create a traffic obstruction or hazard. Political signs in the right-of-way are limited to a maximum surface area of four square feet and a maximum height of five feet.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
120(F) governs political signs citywide. Political signs promoting candidates for public office or ballot measures may be displayed on private property, and must be removed within seven days following the election, except that signs for candidates who won a primary may stay up until seven days after the subsequent general election. 120(F)(2). Political signs may also go in the public right-of-way if they do not create a traffic obstruction or hazard, but right-of-way political signs are limited to four square feet of surface area and five feet of height, and follow the same seven-day post-election removal clock.
120(F)(6). 120's requirements. 120(E): on-premises signs at a party's or candidate's headquarters are allowed in business, commercial, manufacturing, institutional and office/apartment districts so long as they meet the sign standards of that district, with no separate size cap beyond those district rules.
Violations & Fines
A political sign left up more than seven days after the applicable election, mounted on a utility pole or public building, or exceeding the four-square-foot/five-foot right-of-way limits is a civil violation under BCC Chapter 1.18 carrying a monetary penalty and possible abatement, and BCC 22B.10.170(C) also allows misdemeanor prosecution. The code presumes the campaign officer or responsible official directed the violation and holds that person responsible for removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can political signs stay up in Bellevue after an election?
Can a political sign go on a utility pole in Bellevue?
Are political signs allowed in the public right-of-way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
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Political Signs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle political signs.