DuPage County, IL Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Posting window
- Up to 60 days before election
- Removal deadline
- Within 7 days after election
- Total copy area limit
- 10 sq ft per zoning lot
- Height limit
- 4 ft above grade
- Permit required
- No, if within these limits
- Allowed districts
- Any zoning district
Summary
DuPage County lets temporary political signs go up in any zoning district starting 60 days before an election and requires removal within 7 days after, capping total copy area at 10 square feet per zoning lot and 4 feet in height, under Zoning Ordinance Section 37-1104(E).
E.Temporary Political Signs:1.Temporary political signs may be located in any zoning district provided that they are erected not more than sixty (60) days before an upcoming election, and must be removed within seven (7) days following an election.2.The total copy area for all political signs shall not exceed ten (10) square feet of total copy area per zoning lot. No such sign shall exceed four feet (4′) in height above grade.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 14 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 37-1104(E), "Temporary Political Signs," is one of the exempt-and-temporary-sign categories that require no sign permit as long as the sign stays within the stated limits, per the lead-in language of Section 37-1104. Political signs may be placed in any zoning district in unincorporated DuPage County, residential, business or industrial, without the district-specific restrictions that apply to permanent signage. The timing window is fixed at both ends: a sign cannot go up more than 60 days before an upcoming election, and it must come down within 7 days after the election.
The size limit is per zoning lot rather than per sign, so a property owner can post several small signs as long as their combined copy area does not exceed 10 square feet, and no individual political sign can exceed 4 feet in height above grade. Because these are exempt signs, they fall outside the general permit requirement in Section 37-1103(A)(17), but they still have to comply with the countywide siting rules in Section 37-1103(A): a political sign cannot be attached to a utility pole, telephone pole or tree, and it cannot be erected within a public right-of-way except as the highway authority responsible for that right-of-way allows.
A political sign that exceeds the 60-day/7-day window, the 10-square-foot total, or the 4-foot height limit loses its exempt status and would need to meet the permanent-sign standards of the district instead.
Violations & Fines
A political sign that stays up past the 7-day post-election deadline, exceeds 10 square feet per lot, or exceeds 4 feet in height is treated as a zoning violation under Section 37-1417. The zoning official can issue a notice of violation requiring correction or removal within 14 days, or the owner can request an administrative appeal; an uncorrected violation can draw a court fine of $100 to $500 per week the sign remains.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I put up a political yard sign in unincorporated DuPage County?
How long do I have to take down political signs after the election?
How many political signs can I put on my property?
Do I need a permit for a political sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DuPage County
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