Charlotte County, FL Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Charlotte County treats an election sign as a narrow carve-out from its general sign-permit rules rather than a free-for-all. D of the sign article codified at section 3-9-85, a resident or candidate can put up one additional sign of six square feet or less, or two signs of four square feet or less each, on private property, without pulling the temporary-sign permit the code otherwise requires for banners and yard signs. The window is fixed: it opens 45 days before any public election in Florida and closes 15 days after, so a sign posted in July for a November election violates the timing rule, not just the size limit.

1435(3), the code bars any election sign from a state or county right-of-way, meaning the grassy strip between the sidewalk and the street in Port Charlotte or Rotonda is off-limits even though the adjoining yard is not. If the county determines a sign sits on the right-of-way, it can remove the sign immediately without the notice period that applies to other violations. For any other violation of the election-sign exemption, the candidate or sign owner, if the county can identify one, gets 24 hours' notice to fix or remove the sign before the county acts.

Removed signs are held for five business days and can be reclaimed for a $20 removal and storage fee per sign; anything left unclaimed after that window is discarded. This election-sign exemption sits within the broader sign article adopted by Ordinance No. 2011-033 and last amended by Ordinance No. 2018-003.