Santa Barbara, CA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)

Sign regulations for the City are in Municipal Code Chapter 22.70 (Sign Regulations), Section 22.70.030. A noncommercial sign is allowed without a permit so long as it does not exceed six square feet total per lot in residential zones (and 24 square feet total per lot in nonresidential zones). Political and campaign signs are treated as noncommercial signs, so this six-square-foot residential cap and the no-permit allowance apply to them. The code adds a timing limit specific to election signs: an election sign shall not be displayed for more than 90 days prior to the election, nor for more than 10 days following the election for which it is erected. Signs must be on private property with the owner's consent; placing signs in the public right-of-way is separately restricted, and the City may remove signs that violate right-of-way rules and store them for up to 90 days before disposal. Temporary signs are also prohibited in the El Pueblo Viejo Historic District. California Government Code Section 5499 (formerly Elections Code provisions) generally protects the display of temporary political signs in the public right-of-way along state highways subject to size and timing limits; within the city, the local six-square-foot residential cap and the 90-day/10-day window govern signs on private property. The City's rules are its own, separate from Santa Barbara County's sign code for unincorporated areas.