Keeping Political Signs Up After the Election? What Minnesota Law Actually Says

It’s November in Minnesota, which means we’re all busy wrapping up outdoor chores before the snow arrives. There are Halloween decorations to take down, Christmas lights to put up, leaves to rake, and patio furniture to stow away.

But there’s one thing still hanging around in a lot of yards: political campaign signs.

If you’ve still got signs up, you might want to check your local city rules.

Under Minnesota Statute 211B.045, cities are banned from placing limits on the number or size of noncommercial signs starting 46 days before the state primary through 10 days after the general election.

Once that 10-day window passes, the state law doesn't force you to take signs down—it simply hands control back to local municipalities. That means individual cities and townships can enforce their own ordinances regulating sign size, quantity, or display limits. If your town has a sign ordinance on the books, leaving campaign signs up long after Election Day could trigger a local code violation.

However, state law is strict about public property. The Minnesota Department of Transportation reminds property owners that campaign signs are never allowed on highway rights-of-way—including shoulders, ditches, intersections, and urban boulevards. MNDOT workers will remove any signs placed in those zones.