Plainfield, NJ Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Section 17:9-51 of the Plainfield Municipal Code defines a political sign widely: a sign identifying or referencing a political campaign, vote, election, event, referendum, party, political affiliation, cause or candidate, or having any communication relating to any issue whatsoever, including the physical and electronic location of the sign. The sign section states that it does not regulate the content displayed on any sign, and a lawfully existing sign can be repaired or lettered without a new permit.

Political signs sit in the exempt-sign list in subsection D, which permits them without a development permit. The one condition is timing in public space. Temporary signs relating to a campaign, candidate, issue, referenda, or any particular vote, election or event that are located in a public right-of-way outside required sight triangles shall be removed within two weeks after the date of the political event, vote, referendum, election or other object of the temporary sign. On private property in the City of Plainfield, any such political sign can stay without time restriction.

Other sign limits still apply. Signs placed within designated sight triangles, and signs that directly obstruct drivers' lines of sight, are prohibited. The prohibited list also bars signs attached to trees, telephone poles, public benches or streetlights, or placed on public property or in the public right-of-way unrelated to politics or issues, and banners that stretch across a public right-of-way between telephone poles, trees or other structures. Other temporary signs need a development permit: banners, pennants and bunting are limited to two displays per calendar year, two months at a time, and no more than 50 square feet in aggregate.