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Butte County, CA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Earliest installation
90 days before the election
Removal deadline
7 days after the election
Right-of-way
Prohibited
Size/height cap
None set by this section
General penalty
Up to $1,000 fine / 6 months

Summary

Political signs in unincorporated Butte County run on an election calendar. Section 24-108(C) allows them to go up no earlier than 90 days before an election and requires removal no later than seven days after, and it bars placing any political sign within the public right-of-way regardless of timing.

City-specific rules exist: Chico has its own political signs rules that differ from Butte County's county-level regulations. If you live in Chico, check the city-specific page instead.

C.Political Signs.1.Signs shall be installed no earlier than ninety (90) days prior to the election and removed no later than seven (7) days following the election.2.Signs shall be prohibited within the public right-of-way.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).

Full Breakdown

Section 24-108 governs "temporary signs that comply with the following standards" without requiring an Administrative Permit, and subsection C addresses political signs directly: "1. Signs shall be installed no earlier than ninety (90) days prior to the election and removed no later than seven (7) days following the election. 2. " Unlike the temporary real estate signs in Section 24-108(A), which cap area at six or thirty-two square feet depending on the property, and the special-event and business-identification signs in Sections 24-108(D) and (E), which limit area to twenty-four square feet and height to twelve feet, the political sign standard in Section 24-108(C) sets no size or height ceiling of its own, only the installation and removal window and the right-of-way ban.

Political signs still have to meet the county's general sign standards elsewhere in Article 20, including the content-neutrality policy of Section 24-104(F), the prohibition on signs that "interfere with visibility for drivers at an intersection, public right-of-way, or driveway" under Section 24-103(J), and the ban on signs "attached to a tree" under Section 24-103(M). A political sign campaign that spans a primary and a general election in the same cycle must observe the 90-day and 7-day windows separately for each election.

Violations & Fines

A political sign installed more than 90 days before an election, left up more than seven days after, or placed within the public right-of-way violates Section 24-108(C) and the right-of-way ban of Section 24-103(E). Enforcement runs through Section 24-5(F) and the general penalty of Section 1-7: up to a $1,000 fine, six months' imprisonment, or both, with each day a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

How early can I put up a political sign before an election in Butte County?
Section 24-108(C) allows political signs to be installed no earlier than 90 days before the election. Putting a sign up sooner than that window, even for a well-known upcoming race, is not permitted under the temporary sign standards.
How long do I have to take my political signs down after the election?
Section 24-108(C) requires removal no later than seven days following the election. That deadline applies regardless of whether the candidate or measure won, and it runs from election day itself, not from when results are certified.
Is there a size limit on political signs in Butte County?
Section 24-108(C) does not set its own area or height cap for political signs, unlike the real estate and special-event sign rules nearby in Section 24-108. It only fixes the 90-day installation window, the 7-day removal deadline, and a ban on placing the sign within the public right-of-way.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Butte County

All Butte County rules

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