With election season in full swing, our team at FASTSIGNS® of Mesa, AZ has put together a sign guide to help business owners and residents understand the rules for placement of political signs according to city code.
City of Mesa Political Sign Rules: Public Property
Signs in the right-of-way for political purposes are permissible under A.R.S. § 16-1019 if all the following criteria are met:
Signs can be placed within 71 days of the primary and general election. However, if a candidate does not advance to the general election, the sign must be removed within 15 days of the primary. Signs must also be removed 15 days after the general election date.
Signs must be placed on land owned or controlled by the city of Mesa, AZ. The signs must also be placed 15 feet from the face of the curb or edge of the pavement and outside the sight visibility triangle (SVT). According to Article I. Sec. 31-13, the Site Visibility Triangle is the triangular space at intersecting streets or driveways. The area is measured at not less than 33 ft in both directions from the point where the lot line meets the road or driveway.
Political signs cannot be placed in any location where they can be hazardous to public safety, obstruct vision, or interfere with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations.
On Election Day, signs are allowed outside polling places at a distance of at least 75 feet from the facility. This is only permitted when the polling location is open. Also, the signs cannot interfere with parking spaces and walkways leading to the polling place.
Signs on non-residential zoned locations can be a maximum of 32 square feet in sign area.
City of Mesa Political Sign Rules: Private Property
Under A.R.S. § 16-1019, political signs are allowed on private property in accordance with the Mesa City Code. However, there are a couple conditions:
Signs cannot exceed 16 square feet in size.
The sign cannot be placed without the permission of the property owner.
Rules for All Signs
Signs must be replaced or repaired if they become damaged. In addition, any sign which is hazardous, unlawful, prohibited, and non-conforming will be taken down by the city of Mesa, AZ.
All political signs must display the name, telephone number, and website address of the candidate or campaign committee contact.
Installation of signs is considered excavation under state law and requires underground utilities to be marked in advance. Therefore, installing any sign without having the utilities marked violates A.R.S. § 40-360.21-32.
Have questions about political signs or sign codes in Mesa? Give us a call. We’re FASTSIGNS® of Mesa, AZ.