Tuolumne County, CA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Political (campaign) signs in unincorporated Tuolumne County are governed on two tracks. On private property, signs fall under Title 17 (Zoning) of the County Ordinance Code, with sign standards in Chapter 17.34 (and noncommercial changeable message signs addressed in Chapter 17.62). Because political signs are noncommercial speech, the County cannot apply content-based restrictions or favor commercial signs over political ones; size, height, and duration limits must be applied in a content-neutral way, and many jurisdictions allow temporary political signs without a sign permit. Along and within the right-of-way of state highways that traverse the County (such as State Routes 49, 108 and 120), California's Outdoor Advertising Act controls: Business and Professions Code Section 5405.3 exempts temporary political signs from normal outdoor advertising permitting but requires that each sign encourage a particular vote in a scheduled election, be no larger than 32 square feet, be placed no sooner than 90 days before the election, and be removed within 10 days after the election. A statement of responsibility must be filed with Caltrans identifying who will remove the sign and reimburse removal costs. No political sign may be placed within the right-of-way of any highway, or within 660 feet of and visible from a landscaped freeway. Signs may never be posted on utility poles, traffic-control devices, or other public structures. Verify the County's current Chapter 17.34 sign standards with the Community Development Department, since Title 17 was comprehensively updated in 2024.