New Orleans, LA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 134-122(1)
- Placement window
- 48 hrs before election only
- Removal deadline
- 48 hrs after polls close
- Location
- public right-of-way only
- Initial penalty
- $10.00 per sign + removal invoice
Summary
New Orleans limits political campaign signs on the public right-of-way to a tight window: Sec. 134-122(1) of the Code of Ordinances allows placement only 48 hours before an election and requires removal within 48 hours after the polls close, one of six inclusive exceptions to the city's general ban on right-of-way signage.
The following temporary signage, when not prohibited by any other provision of law, may be placed on the public right-of-way. The following exceptions are inclusive, no other temporary signage shall be permitted: (1) Political signs may be placed on the public right-of-way 48 hours prior to an election. Such signs shall be removed 48 hours after the closing of the polls for an election.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 134-121 bars placing any sign on a public street, sidewalk, neutral ground, alley, or other right-of-way without the city's written consent. Sec. " Political signs are item (1): "Political signs may be placed on the public right-of-way 48 hours prior to an election. " That two-day-before, two-day-after window is narrower than several of the section's other categories, open-house real estate signs and garage/moving/rummage-sale signs share the same 48-hour cap, but community-meeting notices get up to five days and lost-pet notices up to ten, so a campaign sign posted a week before election day, or left up more than two days after polls close, falls outside the exception entirely and is treated as an ordinary unlawful sign under Sec.
134-121, regardless of the message on it. The rule governs the public right-of-way specifically; it doesn't reach a yard sign on private property, which this article does not regulate.
Violations & Fines
A political sign posted before the 48-hour pre-election window opens, or left standing more than 48 hours after the polls close, is an unlawful sign under Sec. 134-121 subject to immediate seizure. Sec. 134-130 lets the department of sanitation or parks and parkways invoice the candidate or campaign depicted on it for removal costs plus a $10.00-per-sign penalty, rising to up to $25.00 per sign (capped at $500.00 total) if the violation is contested and upheld on appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can political signs go up on New Orleans streets?
Do political sign rules apply to signs on my own lawn?
What happens to a political sign left up too long?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Orleans
Compare New Orleans to another location·View the Louisiana sign regulations overview
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