Knox County, TN Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Sec. H lists the categories of signs the county allows without a building permit, and subsection 6 covers temporary sign advertising a political candidate specifically: the sign cannot exceed 32 square feet, cannot be displayed for more than 30 days, and has to come down within five days of the election it relates to. Because political signs fall under the no-permit list in subsection H rather than the general temporary-sign rules in Sec. 05, they aren't counted against a property's separate two-occasions-per-year temporary sign allowance for businesses.

The broader general regulations in Sec. 02 still apply on top of the size and duration caps: subsection A bars any sign, political or otherwise, from being placed where it could obstruct, impair, or be confused with an authorized traffic control sign or signal; subsection F bars placing any sign in a public right-of-way except one approved by the county highway department; and subsection L bars red, green, yellow, amber, or blue incandescent lighting on any sign, ruling out illuminated political displays in those colors.

If a candidate sign is not taken down within the code's five-day post-election window, it becomes an abandoned sign under subsection I, and the property owner or lessee has 60 days from written notification by the building official to remove it before the county treats it as a continuing violation. 1, giving political signage more room than an ordinary yard sign.