North Hempstead, NY Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Town Code § 70-201 defines a political sign as any device intended to identify or promote the election of a candidate or an organization formed to promote that election. Freestanding political signs are unlawful in any use district regulated by the Building Zone Ordinance, and no political sign of any kind may be affixed to a tree, traffic device, telephone pole or lighting pole. The only lawful political signage is a wall sign in a business or industrial district, and it must comply with the wall-sign standards of Article XXI, § 70-196J(1)(b).

A wall sign permit cannot be applied for earlier than six weeks before the election it concerns, and every political sign, once posted, must come down within 10 days after that election. The Building Department will not issue a permit for a political wall sign on a vacant or abandoned building, and no sign covered by this section may obstruct traffic. To get the permit, the applicant must deposit a performance bond of $1,000, or $50 in cash, with the Building Department to guarantee timely removal.

The section carves out one exception: painted or poster panels for political advertising remain allowed on existing billboards that were lawfully constructed under § 70-196M, the Town's separate billboard-licensing provision.