Towns, not Hampshire County, regulate signs through zoning bylaws under MGL c.40A. Since Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015), a bylaw must stay content-neutral: Northampton or Amherst cannot give political signs a shorter display window or special limit based on their message.
The county has no sign power and never did; the rule lives in each town's zoning bylaw under Chapter 40A, bounded by the First Amendment. In Reed v. Town of Gilbert, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a sign code treating a sign differently because of its message is content-based and almost never survives. So Northampton, Amherst, South Hadley, and Easthampton may impose neutral limits on size, height, setback, and placement, but none may cap how long a political yard sign stays up while letting other temporary signs linger, or demand a permit aimed at political speech.
A bylaw that limits political signs by their message, through a shorter display period or a message-based permit, is unconstitutional under Reed and unenforceable. Neutral size and placement limits still apply.
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