Spokane Valley, WA Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- No, per SVMC § 22.110.030(B)
- Still barred from
- Public right-of-way placement
- Still barred from
- Clearview triangle obstruction
- Governing chapter
- SVMC Chapter 22.110, Sign Regulations
- First violation penalty
- $500 civil penalty
Summary
Spokane Valley does not require a sign permit for political signs supporting a candidate, ballot measure, or political issue. SVMC § 22.110.030(B) lists them among dozens of permit-exempt sign types, alongside items like flags, notice signs, and murals, so they can go up without a building permit application.
A. Other than for those uses listed in subsection B of this section, a sign permit is required for all allowed permanent signs, temporary signs, unless otherwise specified, and billboards. B. Permits are not required for on-premises official signs; seasonal decorations; merchandise displays; point-of-purchase advertising displays; national and state flags; flags of a political subdivision; notice signs, inflatables; flags with copy; reader boards; temporary signs as listed in SVMC § 22.110.050; symbolic flags of nonprofit institutions dedicated to public service; legal notices required by law; barber poles; historic site designations; commemorative monuments/plaques; gravestones; advertising copy affixed to phone booths; donation and recycling containers; lettering or symbols applied directly onto or flush-mounted magnetically to a motor vehicle operating in the normal course of business; political signs supporting political issues, candidates or ballot measures; replacement of copy on signs otherwise permitted; name plates with less than four square feet of copy area; directional signs with less than four square feet of copy area; and murals containing no copy.
Full Breakdown
030(A) requires a sign permit for allowed permanent signs, temporary signs, and billboards, but subsection (B) carves out a long list of exceptions, and political signs 'supporting political issues, candidates or ballot measures' are named directly on that list, alongside items such as national and state flags, seasonal decorations, notice signs, barber poles, and name plates under four square feet. 030(C) and (D) otherwise require for permitted signs, including engineer stamps for larger structures. 110. 70 SVMC. Flashing signs and signs attached to a parked vehicle or trailer are also barred outright.
A political sign placed in the road shoulder, blocking a sidewalk, or inside a clearview triangle at an intersection is therefore still a violation even though no permit was ever required for it.
Violations & Fines
Posting a political sign is not itself punishable, but placing one in the right-of-way, in a clearview triangle, or where it blocks pedestrian or vehicular safety violates SVMC § 22.110.020 and is enforced as a Title 22 code violation under Chapter 17.100, with civil penalties starting at $500 for a first violation and rising to $1,000 and then $2,000 for repeat violations within three years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put up a political yard sign in Spokane Valley?
Can I put a political sign in the road right-of-way or median?
Is there a limit on how big a political sign can be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane Valley
Compare Spokane Valley to another location·View the Washington sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.