Coon Rapids, MN Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption window
- 46 days before primary to 10 days after election
- Special election window
- 90 days before if no primary held
- Normal size cap
- 8 sq ft residential, 32 sq ft elsewhere
- Setback
- 1 foot from sidewalk or 18 feet from street
- Permit
- No permit or fee required
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, each day a separate violation
Summary
Coon Rapids treats yard signs supporting candidates or ballot measures as noncommercial speech signs under its temporary sign rules. Section 11-1203.6(2)(e) lifts the City's usual size and number caps on these signs during a defined election window: from 46 days before a primary through ten days after the general election, or 90 days before a special election with no primary.
(e)Limitations on size and number of noncommercial speech signs do not apply from 46 days before the state primary in a state general election year until ten days following the state general election and 46 days before a primary for a special election or any other election, or, in the event there is no primary, 90 days before the special election or any other election until ten days following the special election or any other election.
Full Breakdown
Political signs fall under the catch-all 'Other Temporary Signs' category in Section 11-1203.6(2) rather than a standalone political-sign section. Outside the election window, that category limits any temporary sign to eight square feet in a residential district or 32 square feet elsewhere, one per street frontage, set back at least one foot from a sidewalk or 18 feet from the street pavement where there is no sidewalk, and never within ten feet of another property line or inside the right-of-way. No permit or fee is required for these signs under Section 11-1203.6(2)(a).
Section 11-1203.6(2)(e) suspends the size and number limits specifically for noncommercial speech signs, which covers campaign and ballot-measure yard signs, during a defined window: starting 46 days before the state primary in a general election year and running through ten days after the general election, and 46 days before a primary for a special or other election, or, if there is no primary, 90 days before that election through ten days after it. Outside that window the normal eight- or 32-square-foot cap and one-sign-per-frontage rule apply to political signs like any other temporary sign.
The Director can remove any sign placed in violation of this Section, or of another local, state, or federal law, without notice under Section 11-1203.6(2)(f), and Section 11-1203.14(4) protects the right to substitute noncommercial for commercial copy on a lawfully placed sign so the City does not end up favoring one message over another.
Violations & Fines
Section 11-1203.14(2) makes any violation of the sign ordinance, including placing a political sign outside the exemption window at an oversized dimension or excessive count, a misdemeanor, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense. The Director can remove a noncompliant sign under Section 11-1203.6(2)(f) without prior notice, while Section 11-1203.4(3) otherwise requires a 20-day notice and appeal period before the City removes and bills the cost of a different type of sign violation to the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I put up political yard signs without a size limit in Coon Rapids?
How big can a political sign be outside the election window?
Do I need a permit for a political yard sign?
Can the City remove my political sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Coon Rapids
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