Sarasota County, FL Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Section 124-212(a)(13)-(14) of the Unified Development Code puts political signs in the category of signs allowed without a Sign Permit, but only if they meet specific standards in every zoning district. A political sign is defined as a temporary sign installed during a political or referendum campaign. It must be placed only on private property, cannot carry any commercial advertising, and cannot block an intersection or driveway clear-sight triangle. Timing is fixed by ordinance: signs may be displayed no sooner than 60 days prior to the qualifying date for an election, and shall be removed within 21 days after the election.

If a general or runoff election follows within 75 days of a primary, the signs may stay up through the interim period and for 21 days after the later election. Residential districts get an additional size and quantity structure under subsection (14): signs under six square feet may be placed in unlimited numbers, while larger signs, up to 16 square feet each, are allowed only if the combined area of all political signs on the property does not exceed 80 square feet. Because political signs fall under the no-permit category, they are not counted toward a property's separate allotment of permanent ground or wall signs.

The rule applies uniformly to candidate, party, and ballot-measure signs alike, countywide in every zoning district, with the size and aggregate cap layered on top specifically for residential districts.