Cities and the county regulate signs through zoning codes, not a countywide rule. Since Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015), those codes must stay content-neutral: Iowa City or Coralville cannot give a political yard sign a shorter window or special limit because of its message.
Sign authority lives in each city's zoning code and, for unincorporated land, the Johnson County zoning ordinance, all 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 rarely survives. So Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, and Johnson County may set neutral limits on size, height, setback, and placement, but none may cap how long a political sign stays up while letting other temporary signs linger. A sign on your own lawn generally needs no permit. Signs in the public right-of-way or on utility poles are prohibited and removed.
A rule limiting political signs by their message, through a shorter display period or a message-based permit, is unconstitutional under Reed and unenforceable. Signs placed in a right-of-way or on public property are removed by the city.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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