Murrieta, CA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Political signs fall under the city's temporary noncommercial sign exemption in Sec. 050(C)(2), which is permitted in every zoning district. No sign permit is needed, but the display window is capped: temporary noncommercial signs cannot be up more than 120 days per calendar year, and any sign tied to a specific event, including an election, must come down within 14 days after that event. In commercial zones, that 14-day removal window counts against the overall 120-day yearly allowance. The city cannot review or approve the subject matter, content, or specific language on these signs, per Sec.

050(C)(2)(d), which cross-references the prohibited-signs list at Sec. 080(H). In residential zones, a political sign is capped at 16 square feet total per side and 8 feet in height from finished grade, and it cannot obstruct pedestrian or vehicle sightlines. In commercial zones, the same size and location rules that apply to commercial signs apply to the noncommercial ones. Regardless of zone, no political sign may sit within the public right-of-way. Separately, Sec. 020(C) lets the message on any lawfully sited sign, commercial or otherwise, be swapped for a noncommercial message, including a political one, at the owner's discretion without a new city review, but that substitution clause does not change the size, height, duration, or right-of-way limits set out in Sec. 050(C)(2).