By LawInspectsYes, most of the time, it is actually illegal to remove political campaign signs, especially when they’re on private property. Like just last year, we quite literally saw a lot of such videos online where people were removing these political campaign signs, especially those who supported Kamala Harris and the Biden administration. These people were going out of their way to remove “Trump For 2024” signs from people’s private properties, and that’s clearly illegal stuff right there.
Some might think it’s no big deal. But legally speaking, you see, messing with these signs can actually land you in serious trouble, so just be aware of that when you’re thinking of doing something like that.
Is There a Law Against It?
There is no specific federal law that declares the removal of political campaign signs a crime. Some states have their own sets of laws governing this act-most of which share the same basic principle: Do not touch campaign signs that are not yours. Plain and simple!
In most states, removing or damaging political signs is a misdemeanor. Meaning that should you be caught, you could be fined, sentenced to community service, or even jailed.
Private Property? Definitely Illegal
If a political sign is placed on private property, like in someone’s front yard, one should just leave it alone. Doing so could go from mere disrespect to trespassing, theft, or vandalism! If we’re talking from a legal standpoint, that’s quite serious stuff right there.
Correctly put. Any homeowner can put up political signs on their property. That is protected under the right to free speech. And to remove one? That is more than just a disagreement; it is a crime, and we clearly saw a lot of examples of that in the last year.
What If It’s on Public Land?
Sometimes, you will notice campaign signs placed near sidewalks, in medians, or roadside. These areas are generally referred to as public right-of-way. Even if this is the case, you may not just go about taking down their signs by yourself.
Signs may only be removed by local authorities, the city workers, or municipal workers if the signs are placed in violation of some local placement rules. Should a citizen remove them even with good intentions, he may be liable under that local ordinance.
Real Incidents, Real Charges
Such kinds of things tend to occur more often than one can imagine. Like, when there is a political year, sure enough, these things surface so many times all across the country. In Missouri, a candidate installed a GPS device inside her sign because somebody was stealing it. The tracker led police to a car containing some 60 stolen campaign signs. Police got involved and an investigation followed. Under Missouri law, that amounts to a Class 4 election offense, punishable by a fine of $2,500 and/or one year in jail.
And it’s not an isolated case. Across the country, cases have been brought to prosecution, sometimes just for people witlessly moving a sign a few feet. So yes, the authorities really do take this seriously.
What Happens If You’re Caught?
Typically, should a person be caught in removing or damaging a sign, they will be charged with a misdemeanor right off the bat. This can still lead to up to twelve months in jail, fines, or probation.
From the other states’ perspective, in the event that the stolen signs are calculated to be worth in excess of a certain limit, $750 in Missouri, the charge could be aggravated to that for a felony, an offense of greater magnitude. So yes, all of this is illegal and can have you face legal consequences if you didn’t know it is a real offence and is taken as a crime in the eyes of the law.