Madera, CA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Sign Regulations for unincorporated Madera County are in Chapter 18.90 of the Zoning Code. Section 18.90.020 establishes a general prohibition: no sign may be erected in the unincorporated county except as expressly permitted, although official traffic and highway information signs are exempt. In residential zone districts, Section 18.90.110 allows a base total sign area of eight square feet per parcel for signs visible from adjacent property or streets, with no single sign exceeding four square feet or six feet in height, and then expressly adds 'an additional total sign area of thirty-two square feet for the display of campaign signs.' This gives residents a clear allowance for political and campaign signage above the everyday residential limit. Section 18.90.040 prohibits signs on public property, and Section 18.90.050 prohibits any sign that creates a traffic hazard or obstructs visibility. Although the code references 'campaign signs,' courts have held that local governments generally cannot treat political or temporary noncommercial signs more restrictively than other signs of the same size and location, so the size allowance is best understood as a content-neutral cap. The code does not state a posting or removal deadline tied to election day in the residential sign section. Property owners should keep signs on their own property, out of the public right-of-way, and clear of intersection sight lines.