Hawaii Statewide Rule
Hawaii Garage Sale Signs and Highway Advertising Ban
Key Facts
- Statute
- HRS 264-71 to 264-79
- Off-premises signs
- Prohibited
- Removal
- Without notice by HDOT
- Exemptions
- On-premises and directional only
Summary
Hawaii's statewide billboard ban under HRS 264-72 prohibits commercial signs visible from state highways, including garage sale signs posted on utility poles, trees, or within highway rights-of-way.
§445-114 Unlawful posting in public places. Except for a public officer in performance of a public duty, or a private person in giving legal notice on other than utility poles, it shall be unlawful for any person to paste, post, paint, print, nail, tack, or otherwise fasten any card, banner, handbill, sign, poster, outdoor advertising device, or notice of any kind or cause the same to be done, on any curbstone, lamppost, utility pole, streetlight pole, hydrant, bridge, tree, street sign, traffic sign, or traffic light upon any public property in the State, except as may be required by the ordinances of the county where it is posted, or by the laws of this State or of the United States.
Full Breakdown
HRS 264-71 through 264-79 establish Hawaii's near-total ban on outdoor advertising visible from federal-aid and state highways. Garage sale signs, yard sale signs, and similar off-premises advertisements posted on utility poles, traffic signs, trees, fences, or within state highway rights-of-way are unlawful. The exemptions in HRS 264-72 cover on-premises sale, lease, and activity signs plus directional or official signs; they do not protect off-premises commercial signs. HDOT crews remove unauthorized signs, and the ban applies uniformly statewide, preempting any conflicting county tolerance.
Violations & Penalties
HDOT removes unauthorized off-premises signs without notice under Hawaii's outdoor advertising law (HRS Chapter 264), and posters may face additional county penalties for placing signs on utility poles or public property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I staple a yard sale sign to a telephone pole in Hawaii?
Where can I legally post a garage sale sign?
Sources
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