Montgomery, AL Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest placement
- 8 weeks before election
- Polling-place placement
- 36 hrs before, 30 ft away
- Removal deadline
- 10 days after election
- Illegal placement fine
- $500.00 per sign
- Unlawful removal
- Class 3 misdemeanor
Summary
Montgomery caps political signs to an eight-week window before an election and requires removal within ten days after, bars them from rights-of-way, city property and abandoned lots entirely, and fines illegal placement $500.00 per sign. Stealing or removing someone else's sign is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
(a)Political signs must be at least 30 feet from polling entrances on election day, pursuant to State Code.(b)Political signs may be placed at polling locations no more than 36 hours prior to opening.(c)Political signs may be placed no earlier than eight weeks prior to an election.(d)Political signs must be removed ten days after an election, unless there is a runoff election for those candidates, after which political signs must be removed ten days after runoff election.(e)Political signs are prohibited from being nailed/stapled to trees, fire hydrants, public fences, and utility poles on city right-of-ways, pursuant to City Code.(f)Political signs are prohibited on abandoned properties.(g)Political signs are not permitted in public rights-of-way or on city properties, and noncompliance will result in a $500.00 fine for signs posted illegally.(h)Unlawful removal of political signs is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 24-8 sets a full timeline and placement scheme for political signs. They cannot go up earlier than eight weeks before an election, and at polling locations specifically, no earlier than 36 hours before polls open, staying at least 30 feet from polling entrances on election day as State Code requires. After the election, signs must come down within ten days, or within ten days after any runoff if the candidate is in one. 00 fine for any sign posted illegally in those locations.
Section 24-8(e) separately bars nailing or stapling political signs to trees, fire hydrants, public fences, and utility poles within city rights-of-way. On the other side of the ledger, § 24-8(h) makes unlawfully removing someone else's political sign a Class 3 misdemeanor, giving candidates and campaigns a criminal remedy against sign theft or vandalism rather than leaving it to civil claims. The ordinance, No. 46-2023, was adopted October 17, 2023, replacing older, less detailed sign rules for this specific category.
Violations & Fines
Posting a political sign in a public right-of-way, on city property, on an abandoned lot, or nailed to a tree, hydrant, fence or utility pole carries a $500.00 fine per sign under § 24-8(g). Placing signs earlier than eight weeks before an election, closer than 30 feet to a polling entrance, or failing to remove them within ten days after the election or runoff is a Chapter 24 violation under the general penalty. Removing another person's political sign without authority is a Class 3 misdemeanor under § 24-8(h).
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put up a political sign in Montgomery?
When do political signs have to come down after a Montgomery election?
What is the fine for putting a political sign in the Montgomery right-of-way?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery
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