Maryland Political Sign Right-of-Way Restrictions

Under Transportation Article 8-737 and COMAR 11.04.07, no sign of any kind, including political campaign signs, may be placed within the right-of-way of a Maryland state highway without authorization. The State Highway Administration removes unauthorized signs without notice and may dispose of them after holding for 30 days. Election Law Article 13-602 requires political signs to identify the authorizing campaign. While placement on private property with owner consent is generally protected, time-of-display restrictions are typically set locally and may be content-neutral. Federal First Amendment doctrine limits how strictly municipalities can restrict residential political signs.

Signs in state right-of-way are removed by SHA. Election Law violations carry civil penalties up to $1,000 per occurrence under Article 13-604.