Lacey, WA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Sign permit
- Not required
- Maximum size
- Ten square feet of sign area
- Where allowed
- Private property or the planter strip next to it
- Where prohibited
- Telephone poles, power poles, public utility facilities
- Removal deadline
- Seven days after the election is determined
- Responsible party
- The candidate or committee
Summary
In the City of Lacey, Washington, political signs need no sign permit. They can go on private property or in the planter strip between street and sidewalk, up to ten square feet each, and must come down seven days after the election is decided. They cannot be posted on telephone poles, power poles or other public utility facilities.
E. Political Signs. No sign permit is required. Political signs or posters may be placed upon private property or within the portion of the right-of-way adjacent to private property between the street and sidewalk (or in the unpaved section of the right-of-way where there is no sidewalk), commonly referred to as the “parking strip” or “planter strip,” and determined to be a traditional public forum. Political signs shall not be larger than ten square feet of sign area and shall not be posted or attached to telephone poles, power poles or other public utility facilities. Such signs must be removed seven days after the election in which the candidate or issue advertised on a sign has been determined. For a successful candidate in a primary election the sign may remain until the final election, but shall be removed within seven days after the election. The candidate or committee for which the sign is displayed shall be responsible for its removal and/or is subject to the penalties as provided in this code.
Full Breakdown
Section 16.75.100(E) of the Lacey Municipal Code governs political signs in the City of Lacey. The code defines a political sign in § 16.75.020(DD) as a sign advertising a candidate or candidates for public elective office, or a political party, or urging a particular vote on a public issue decided by ballot. No sign permit is required.
Placement is allowed on private property or within the portion of the right-of-way adjacent to private property between the street and sidewalk, commonly called the parking strip or planter strip. Where there is no sidewalk, the unpaved section of the right-of-way counts. That right-of-way placement depends on the strip being determined a traditional public forum. This is a specific authorization within Chapter 16.75, which otherwise prohibits freestanding signs in the right-of-way under § 16.75.050(A)(1). Each sign is capped at ten square feet of sign area and cannot be posted or attached to telephone poles, power poles or other public utility facilities.
Removal is due seven days after the election in which the candidate or issue has been determined. A successful candidate in a primary can leave the sign up until the final election, but it must come down within seven days after that election. The candidate or committee for which the sign is displayed is responsible for removal.
Section 16.75.030(B) states the chapter does not restrict speech on the basis of content, viewpoint or message, and § 16.75.060(A) lets any permitted sign carry a lawful noncommercial message. A person can also hold a sign on city property that is a traditional public forum, so long as the holder does not block ingress and egress from buildings or impede travel on sidewalks, bike and vehicle lanes, and trails.
Violations & Fines
The candidate or committee behind a sign is subject to the penalties in the code. An unlawful temporary sign on private property that remains 24 hours after notification can be removed by the City of Lacey, and the owner reclaims it only after paying a $100.00 civil penalty under § 16.75.120(B)(3). Under § 16.75.120(C), a violation is a misdemeanor and each day counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a campaign sign in the City of Lacey?
Can I put a political sign in the planter strip?
When must political signs come down?
Does the sign code restrict what a political sign says?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lacey
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