Kauai County, HI Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Kaua'i County Code § 15-4.6(a)(2) exempts a political campaign sign from the county's sign permit requirement, but only within limits. A sign identifying a candidate's headquarters may not exceed the size limitation set in § 15-4.5(b), which scales by zoning district, for example twenty-four square feet for a wall or ground sign in the Residential R-10 through R-20 and Resort districts. A sign identifying or providing information about a candidate or a ballot issue carries the same size cap and two placement bans: it may not be posted within the right-of-way boundary of any public road or highway, and it may not block, obstruct, or impede a public sidewalk or pedestrian walkway, partially or completely.

These placement rules echo the county's separate ban on obstructing intersections under § 16-20.4. Political signs remain subject to the general construction and location standards of § 15-4.7, which require every sign to be securely braced, built to withstand at least 30 pounds per square foot of wind pressure, and kept clear of fire escapes, alarms, and other public safety devices. Because political signs are exempt from the permit process but not from these substantive rules, a sign that is oversized, planted in the right-of-way, or blocking a sidewalk is an unlawful sign subject to removal under § 15-4.9(c) even though no permit was ever required to erect it.