Stealing or Destroying Campaign Yard Signs Is Against the Law

 The signs are everywhere – except when they’re not!

 With the 2024 presidential election less than a month away, campaign yard signs seem to be everywhere, but Georgia law stipulates where campaign yard signs can and cannot be posted and protects them from theft and vandalism, notes Towns County Democratic Co-Chair John Bennett of Hiawassee. 

The theft of a campaign sign falls under Georgia Code § 16-8-2, or theft by taking, and is a misdemeanor as long as the combined value of the stolen property is $1,500 or less, Bennett said. Defacing a campaign sign falls under Georgia Code § 16-7-21, criminal trespass, if the damage is $500 or less. Both are misdemeanors punishable by a maximum of a year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

Violations should be reported to local law enforcement authorities, but Bennett urged anyone who witnesses a violation not to confront the offender.   A call to 911 is the best option, he said. Provide the 911 center with descriptions, and if safe to do so, wait for a responding officer to arrive.

 Georgia Code § 32-6-51 states campaign signs cannot be placed in the right-of-way of any public road.  Municipalities and counties may, however, adopt ordinances that allow campaign signs to be placed in the rights-of-way of municipal/county roads.

 City of Hiawassee ordinances prohibit the placement of any sign within the public right of way and any sign which interferes with a driver’s visibility, Bennett stated. The width of the right of way depends on the route, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). If there are power poles on the right of way, the edge is usually behind the poles. 

 Bennett also noted that any person wishing to place a campaign sign on private property must have the permission of the property owner if it is not on their own property.  That includes rental property, where stipulations in the lease apply.

  GDOT has officially stated it will remove “any and all signs” from the state right-of-way.  Failure to obey this law could result in a misdemeanor, so GDOT stated that candidates should make sure their signs are placed only in authorized areas. On Election Day, signs are prohibited within 150 feet of any building where voting is taking place as well as within 25 feet of any voter standing in line to vote (Georgia Code § 21-2-414).