James City County, VA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

James City County's sign article, chapter 24 division 3, treats non-commercial temporary signs, the category that covers political and campaign signage, as an exempt sign under § 24-74. That means no sign permit application is required, but the sign must still meet the structural and safety requirements of the building code, per the lead-in language of § 24-74. The exemption itself carries two hard numbers: a sign cannot exceed 32 square feet in size, and signs of this kind cannot be erected for more than 90 days in a calendar year, counted across the whole year rather than per election cycle.

This sits alongside the county's other exempt sign categories in the same section, such as temporary real estate signs (six square feet) and open-house directional signs (three square feet, only at marked intersections), so a homeowner or candidate needs to keep the non-commercial exemption separate from those narrower carve-outs. Because § 24-74(12) is not tied to any particular election or candidate, the same 32-square-foot, 90-day allowance covers advocacy signs on any non-commercial topic, not just campaign races. The rule applies countywide outside the independent city of Williamsburg, which sets its own sign standards.