Merced, CA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

The City of Merced comprehensively rewrote its sign regulations in 2023 (Ord. No. 2549, adopted October 16, 2023) to be content-neutral, consistent with the First Amendment and Reed v. Town of Gilbert. As a result, the code contains no sign category labeled 'political signs.' Instead, Section 20.62.030 ('No discrimination against noncommercial speech') provides that, with the property owner's consent, a noncommercial message of any type - which includes political and election messages - may be substituted in whole or in part for any commercial or other noncommercial message on any sign whose structure is legal, with no additional approval or permit required. Political signs are therefore governed by the temporary-sign standards for the zone where they are placed. For residential uses in residential zones (Table 20.62.100-1), a parcel may have a temporary building sign up to 12 square feet (no illumination) and up to one temporary freestanding sign per dwelling unit, up to 4 square feet and up to 2 feet high. Section 20.62.040 also exempts signs located on a private, non-public area of a lot (such as a backyard) that are not visible from the public right-of-way. Citywide prohibitions in Section 20.62.050 still apply: no signs in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, trees, or fences; none within the corner vision triangle (Section 20.30.030); none within five feet of a fire hydrant or traffic signal; and none within ten feet of a driveway. California Elections Code Section 20008 separately limits how soon before and after an election temporary political signs in the public right-of-way may be regulated.