York County, SC Sign Regulations: Political Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Right-of-way sign ban
- Any sign visible from the road, statewide
- Applies to
- Political, commercial, and personal signs alike
- Penalty
- Up to $100 fine or 30 days jail
- Narrow exception
- Government or church welcome/directional signs
- Enacted
- 1962 Code, amended 1990 Act No. 519
Summary
South Carolina makes it unlawful to display, place, or affix any sign, political campaign signs included, within a road right-of-way where it is visible from the main-traveled way. S.C. Code § 57-25-10 applies on every state and county road in unincorporated York County, and a candidate or supporter who plants a yard sign inside the right-of-way commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100 or up to 30 days in jail.
SECTION 57-25-10. Unlawful to display, place, or affix posters within right-of-way. It is unlawful for a person to display, place, or affix a sign, as defined in Section 57-25-120(3), within a right-of-way and visible from the main-traveled way of the highway. A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.
SECTION 57-25-120(3): "Sign" or "outdoor advertising sign" means an outdoor sign, display, device, figure, painting, drawing, message, plaque, poster, billboard, or other thing which is designed, intended, or used to advertise or inform, or any part of the advertising or its informative contents.
Full Breakdown
" The cross-referenced definition at § 57-25-120(3) is broad: a "sign" or "outdoor advertising sign" means "an outdoor sign, display, device, figure, painting, drawing, message, plaque, poster, billboard, or other thing which is designed, intended, or used to advertise or inform," language that covers a campaign yard sign the same way it covers a commercial billboard. Because the rule reaches every road right-of-way in the state, it governs the shoulders and medians of every state highway and county road running through unincorporated York County, from Lake Wylie to India Hook, not just interstates.
The prohibition is content-neutral: it turns on where a sign sits, not what it says, so a campaign sign gets no different treatment than a garage-sale sign or a for-sale sign placed in the same right-of-way. Section 57-25-15 carves out one narrow exception: a welcome sign or directional sign to a public facility or event, erected by a county, municipality, or organized church, is exempt from § 57-25-10 if it presents no traffic hazard, though a sign placed within the right-of-way itself still needs the Department of Transportation's approval for size, location, and supports. Nothing in § 57-25-10 exempts political candidates, campaigns, or advocacy groups; the statute makes no reference to elections at all.
Violations & Fines
Placing a sign, political or otherwise, inside a highway right-of-way is a misdemeanor under § 57-25-10, punishable on conviction by a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days. The South Carolina Department of Transportation removes signs found in the right-of-way of state roads, and York County can act on county road rights-of-way through its own public works and code enforcement staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a campaign sign on the road shoulder in York County?
What counts as a 'sign' under this right-of-way law?
What's the penalty for a political sign left in the right-of-way?
Is there any exception for government or church signage?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
Compare York County to another location·View the South Carolina sign regulations overview
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