Winnebago County, WI Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Who can remove it
- Clerk, election inspector, building inspector, police
- Notice required?
- No
- Permit needed to post?
- No, per Table 12-1
- Standard applied
- State election law violations
Summary
Winnebago County lets a municipal clerk, election inspector, building inspector, or law officer pull down any political sign that violates state election law, without notifying whoever put it up.
23.12-19 Removal of certain signs related to political elections. A municipal clerk, election inspector, building inspector, or law enforcement officer having jurisdiction may remove a sign placed in violation of the laws governing elections.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 23 doesn't ban political signs outright, Table 12-1 lists them as a temporary, no-permit sign type allowed on private property. But § 23.12-19 gives named officials, a municipal clerk, election inspector, building inspector, or law enforcement officer with jurisdiction, authority to remove any sign that violates Wisconsin's election laws. This sits alongside the county's general illegal-sign removal power in § 23.12-18 for signs on public property, but § 23.12-19 is specific to election-law violations and applies wherever county zoning is in effect.
Violations & Fines
A political sign that violates state election law can be removed on sight by a municipal clerk, election inspector, building inspector, or law enforcement officer: no advance notice to the sign's owner is required under § 23.12-19.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put up a political sign in Winnebago County?
Who can take down an illegal political sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Winnebago County
Compare Winnebago County to another location·View the Wisconsin sign regulations overview
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