Janesville, WI Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Section 28-190 of the Janesville Code of General Ordinances is a single sentence: political signs are exempt from all provisions of this chapter except general regulations. That places political signs alongside a handful of other categories the City treats the same way, real estate signs, construction signs, directional signs and public signs among them, all of which skip the chapter's permit, sign-district, spacing and size limits that apply to commercial signage. General regulations still apply, and those come from Article V of Chapter 28: a political sign cannot be placed upon, over or in public property under Section 28-139 (other than where the article specifically allows a sign to project into the public way), cannot be positioned where it interferes with, obstructs the view of, or could be confused with an authorized traffic sign under Section 28-140, and must be constructed and maintained safely enough that it does not create a public hazard under Section 28-141.

Because Section 28-190 does not create its own permit requirement, size cap or time limit specific to political signs, the City does not require a sign permit or fee before a resident, campaign or candidate puts one up, and there is no code-stated removal deadline tied to an election date. The exemption applies citywide regardless of the underlying sign district or the parcel's zoning, since the only conditions attached are the general, safety-oriented rules that every sign, political or otherwise, must already follow.