Rochester Hills, MI Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Election window
- 60 days before to 3 days after
- Election-period sign cap
- 64 sq ft (all districts)
- Non-election residential cap
- 6 sq ft, single-family
- Permit-free threshold
- Under 12 sq ft
- First-violation fine
- $70.00 (Sec. 66-37)
Summary
Rochester Hills lets residents and businesses put up larger temporary signs, including political and ballot-issue signs, around elections. Section 134-9(d) raises the maximum area of a freestanding temporary sign to 64 square feet in every zoning district for 60 days before through three days after any city-designated election with a ballot item.
(d)In recognition that there is a need for additional expression of speech prior to a scheduled election, the following applies for a period of 60 days prior to until three days after a city-designated election day on which there is at least one ballot item: the maximum allowable area of temporary freestanding signs shall be increased to 64 square feet in all districts. The maximum area of an individual sign remains as stated in the table above during this period.
Full Breakdown
Outside of election periods, Section 134-9(a)'s table caps freestanding temporary signs at six square feet for single-family residential uses and up to 20 square feet for non-residential uses depending on district, each limited to two or three signs per address and seven feet in height, with wall-mounted temporary signs capped separately at two to 32 square feet depending on use. Section 134-9(d) overrides those area limits for a defined election window, from 60 days before a city-designated election day through three days after it, on any ballot that includes at least one item, whether a candidate race or a ballot proposal.
During that window the maximum area of a freestanding temporary sign rises to 64 square feet in every zoning district citywide, though the height limit and the cap on the number of signs per address are not changed by this subsection. Temporary signs under 12 square feet still need no permit under Section 134-4(1)a.5 and are limited to one per address; a larger sign obtained under the election-period increase must otherwise meet the general temporary sign standards of Section 134-9, including the durable, all-weather construction requirement in subsection (f) and the maintenance standards referenced in subsection (g).
Violations & Fines
A temporary sign that exceeds the applicable size, including the 64-square-foot election-period maximum, or that stays up outside the 60-day-before-to-three-day-after window, is a municipal civil infraction under Section 66-37, fined $70.00 for a first violation, $150.00 for a first repeat, and $500.00 for a second or subsequent repeat, keyed to Section 134-5, and the sign board of appeals under Section 134-12 hears any appeal of a building department order to remove it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I put out a larger political sign in Rochester Hills?
How big can a yard sign be in Rochester Hills outside of an election?
Do I need a permit for a political yard sign in Rochester Hills?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rochester Hills
Compare Rochester Hills to another location·View the Michigan sign regulations overview
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