Lexington, KY Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Free-standing sign limit
- 4 square feet, unattended, silent
- Campaign-free zone
- 300 feet from polling-place entrance
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-52.1
- Penalty
- Up to $500, up to 12 months jail
- Applies
- Election day only, per KRS 118.025
Summary
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government's electioneering ordinance, Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-52.1, exempts political signs on private property from the 300-foot campaign-free zone around polling places, so long as the sign is unattended, silent, non-mechanical, and no larger than four square feet: otherwise general electioneering is barred within that zone on election day.
No person shall, on the day of any election as established in KRS 118.025, do any electioneering at the polling place or within a distance of three hundred (300) feet of the main entrance of a building used by voters in which a voting machine is located on election day... Nothing in this section shall prohibit the displaying of political signs on private property or private establishment by a person having a leased or ownership interest in that private property or private establishment within the campaign free zone, regardless of the distance from the polling place provided that the sign is not accompanied by a person and does not emit any sound and is not audio-visual or mechanical and no larger than four (4) square feet in size.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Republication | Zoning Ordinance: Republication).
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' A companion older provision, Sec. 14-52, separately bans political speeches, gatherings, and posting placards on trees or buildings inside any public park, unrelated to polling-place electioneering. Enforcement of the 300-foot zone falls to precinct election officers, the county clerk or deputy, or any law-enforcement official, and any polling location's grounds, buildings, sidewalks, and parking lots are declared non-public forums for the day. A violator who ignores a warning from the precinct sheriff faces up to $500 and 12 months in jail per offense.
Violations & Fines
Electioneering or oversized/attended political signage inside the 300-foot zone, after the violator has been notified of the rule by the sheriff of the election precinct, is punishable by up to $500, up to 12 months in jail, or both, for each offense under Sec. 14-52.1. Enforcement is limited to precinct election officers, the county clerk's office, and law enforcement, who can request assistance from any officer present at the polling place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a political sign on my own property near a Lexington polling place?
How close to a Lexington polling place can campaigning happen on election day?
What's the penalty for violating Lexington's polling-place electioneering rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lexington
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