Hawthorne regulates non-commercial signs on residential property - including political signs - under Municipal Code Chapter 17.35 (On-Premises Signs). Temporary non-commercial signs may not exceed three square feet per side, may not be illuminated, and no more than five yard signs are allowed per residential property or per unit, whichever is larger.
Hawthorne's on-premises sign regulations in Chapter 17.35 set content-neutral standards that apply to political and other non-commercial yard signs on residential property. Under the temporary non-commercial sign rules, 'no sign face shall exceed three square feet in area per side,' the sign 'shall be non-commercial in nature,' and it 'shall not be illuminated except for address signs.' Signs may be freestanding or wall-mounted but may not be mounted on a roof or fascia (fascia is allowed only for a street address). All freestanding signs must be set back at least five feet from the back of the sidewalk. The code limits quantity: 'no person shall maintain more than five yard signs on any residential property or per individual unit, whichever is larger,' in any single-family or multifamily residential zone. Because federal law (Reed v. Town of Gilbert) bars cities from singling out political signs by content, Hawthorne applies these neutral size, placement, and quantity rules to all temporary non-commercial signs rather than imposing a separate political-sign category. California Elections Code and the state outdoor-advertising rules separately protect temporary political signs and require removal after an election; Hawthorne's quantity and size limits operate alongside those state protections.
Yard signs that exceed three square feet per side, are illuminated, exceed the five-sign limit, or sit within five feet of the sidewalk violate Chapter 17.35 and may be cited or removed by Hawthorne Code Enforcement. Commercial signs are subject to the separate permitting requirements for on-premises signs.
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