Mendocino County, CA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest posting
- 90 days before election
- Removal deadline
- 10 days after election
- Max sign size
- 32 sq ft per face
- Permit needed
- None, exempt from CDP
- Governs
- Coastal Zone only (Division II)
- Noncompliant sign
- Illegal sign, must be removed
Summary
In Mendocino County's Coastal Zone, a political sign tied to a scheduled election cannot go up more than 90 days before the vote and must come down within 10 days after it under Mendocino County Code Section 20.476.030(D). Each sign face is capped at 32 square feet, and the sign needs no Coastal Development Permit.
The following temporary on-site signs are permitted without the necessity of obtaining a Coastal Development Permit:...(D)Political signs pertaining to a scheduled election subject to the following standards:(1)The sign cannot be put up more than ninety (90) days prior to the election.(2)The sign must be removed within ten (10) days after the election.(3)The sign cannot exceed thirty-two (32) square feet on any single sign face.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
476 of the Mendocino County Coastal Zoning Code (Title 20, Division II) governs signage across the county's Coastal Zone, which covers most of the unincorporated coastline including Gualala, Anchor Bay, Little River, Albion, Elk, Caspar and Westport. 030 lists the temporary on-site signs a property owner may put up without first obtaining a Coastal Development Permit, and political signs pertaining to a scheduled election are one of them. Subsection (D) sets three limits: the sign cannot go up more than 90 days before the election, it must come down within 10 days after the election, and no single face can exceed 32 square feet.
The same section separately allows a temporary real estate sign up to 16 square feet (removed within 15 days of sale or lease) and business-opening banners, streamers and pennants (removed within 15 days of the opening or 20 days of installation, whichever comes first), so the political sign standard sits inside a broader temporary-sign scheme rather than standing alone. 035(C) bars stroboscopic, flashing or intermittent illumination on any sign in the Coastal Zone. 050 and must be removed. 476 sits in Division II, it binds development in the Coastal Zone; inland unincorporated areas fall under the separate Division I zoning code.
Violations & Fines
A political sign posted more than 90 days before the election, left up more than 10 days afterward, or built larger than 32 square feet per face becomes an illegal sign under Mendocino County Code Section 20.476.050 and must be removed. County Planning and Building Services enforces the sign chapter as part of Coastal Zone permit compliance; a property owner who refuses removal faces the same code-enforcement process used for any illegally erected sign in the Coastal Zone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put up a political sign in unincorporated Mendocino County's Coastal Zone?
When does a political sign have to come down?
Is there a size limit on political signs in the Coastal Zone?
Do I need a coastal development permit to put up a political sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mendocino County
California rules heatmap·Compare Mendocino County to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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