Philadelphia County permits residential political signs on private property as protected political speech under the First Amendment, with reasonable size and placement limits under Phila. Zoning Code 14-904. No permit is required.
Under Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015) and PA constitutional free speech protections, Philadelphia cannot impose content-based restrictions on political signs beyond neutral time/place/manner rules. Phila. Zoning Code 14-904 permits temporary noncommercial signs on private residential property without a permit, typically limited to 6 square feet per sign in residential districts. Signs cannot be placed in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, or on city-owned property. Streets Department routinely removes signs illegally posted in rights-of-way. Campaign signs on private property with owner consent are permitted during any election cycle and must be removed within a reasonable time (generally 10 days) after the election per customary enforcement.
Signs in right-of-way: removal and $75 fine. Oversized signs: $150 under Phila. Zoning Code 14-904. No removal post-election: nuisance abatement.
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