New York, NY Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Section 10-119 of the Administrative Code, in Title 10's Public Safety chapter, bars posting on curbs, gutters, flagstones, trees, lampposts, utility poles, bus shelters, elevated train structures, highway fences, parking meters, mail boxes, traffic signs and poles, tree pits, benches, hydrants, public pay phones and city-owned grassy strips along streets. A campaign that zip-ties yard signs to street trees or staples flyers to a lamppost falls squarely inside this list. The only carve-out is for postings by or under the direction of the City Council or a city agency, or those placed under a franchise, concession or revocable consent, so a candidate cannot rely on any general public-forum exception.

Subdivision b creates a rebuttable presumption that whoever's name or phone number appears on the sign put it up or directed someone else to, and subdivision d lets the Sanitation Commissioner subpoena telephone records to identify anonymous posters. Penalties run through § 10-121: a first civil offense before the Environmental Control Board carries a $75 to $150 fine, rising to $150 to $250 for a second or later offense within twelve months, plus the City's cost of removing the sign. Nailing or piercing a tree to hang a sign adds a second, equal penalty on top of the base fine.

Criminal prosecution is also available, carrying up to ten days in jail, a comparable fine, or both, though most enforcement runs through civil notices of violation. Every individual sign posted in violation counts as a separate offense, so a run of unauthorized yard signs zip-tied to poles along one block can generate that many separate penalties, and corporate campaigns or PACs share joint and several liability with officers and stockholders owning more than ten percent of the company.