Political yard sign rules and disclaimers, explained

What a "Paid for by" disclaimer is, and why it exists

A disclaimer is the small printed line on a yard sign, palm card, or mailer that identifies who is responsible for it — usually the campaign committee's registered name, sometimes with a treasurer's name or address depending on the jurisdiction. The idea behind it is simple: voters have a right to know who is paying to influence their vote, so anonymous political persuasion is restricted in favor of attributed political persuasion. It's the print equivalent of a campaign having to put its name on anything it says publicly.

Federal rules (FEC) for federal candidates

If you are a candidate for federal office — U.S. House, U.S. Senate, or President — your printed materials, including yard signs, are governed by Federal Election Commission disclaimer rules. In broad strokes, those rules require that a disclaimer:

• Identify who paid for it — the name of the committee or person responsible for the communication.
• Appear in a printed box set apart from the rest of the communication — visually distinct, not blended into the design.
• Be printed in clearly readable type — legible, with a minimum size relative to the size of the piece.

There is a narrow small-items exemption for items too small to physically carry a legible disclaimer — the classic examples are campaign buttons and pens. A yard sign is not a small item; it needs the full disclaimer treatment. If you are a federal candidate, treat the FEC's current disclaimer regulations as the authoritative source, not a summary like this one.

State rules vary — often substantially

State and local candidates are not governed by FEC rules at all; they follow their own state's election code. Most states have adopted some version of a "who paid for this" disclaimer requirement, but the details differ from state to state and sometimes by office level within a state:

• Wording. Some states specify exact required phrasing; others allow more flexibility as long as the paying party is clearly identified.
• Formatting. Some states require the boxed, set-apart treatment similar to federal rules; others don't specify a box at all.
• Minimum type size. States that specify size requirements don't all use the same minimum.
• What counts as exempt. Small-items exemptions, if they exist at all in your state, may be broader or narrower than the federal version.

Because these rules genuinely differ by state — and change from time to time — the only reliable way to get your disclaimer right is to check your specific state's current election code or ask your state election authority directly. A rule of thumb that's right in one state can be wrong, sometimes expensively wrong, in the next one over.

Where you may — and may not — legally place a sign

Placement is a separate legal question from the disclaimer itself, and it trips up just as many campaigns:

• Private property, with the owner's permission — generally fine. This is the default, safe placement: a supporter's yard, a business's frontage with the owner's OK. Always get permission first, even from an enthusiastic supporter's neighbor.
• The public right-of-way — usually prohibited. The strip of land between a sidewalk and the street, road medians, and highway shoulders often belong to the municipality or state DOT, not the adjacent property owner, and are commonly off-limits to any private signage, political or otherwise.
• Government property — almost always prohibited. City hall lawns, school district property, park district land, and similar public buildings and grounds are typically off-limits to campaign signage without specific permission, which is rarely granted.
• HOA-governed property. Homeowners' association rules add a private layer of restriction on top of the law, though a number of states now limit how far an HOA can go in restricting political signs on a homeowner's own lot. Check both your state law and your HOA's current covenants.
• Local ordinances. Cities and counties frequently layer on their own sign ordinances — size limits, setback requirements, and permit rules for larger signs or banners — separate from state election law entirely.

The common rule of thumb about removal: many local ordinances require political signs to come down within a set window after the election — often somewhere in the range of a week to ten days — but this is set locally and enforcement varies. Whatever your ordinance says, plan a volunteer sign-pickup crew for the weekend after Election Day. It's good practice even where it isn't legally required, and it matters for how your campaign is remembered.

What is a union bug, and when do campaigns want one?

A union bug is a small printed mark — sometimes just a symbol, sometimes including a specific union local's number — indicating that a piece was printed at a union shop. It is not a legal requirement for campaign printing in general. Most Republican campaigns don't need one. Some candidates in union-heavy districts, or those actively seeking labor endorsements, request a union bug on their printed materials as a signal to that specific audience. It's an optional, strategic choice, not a compliance box to check.

Practical advice: sizes, quantities, and placement strategy

Standard size. An 18×24 corrugated plastic sign, double-sided, is the standard workhorse for most local and legislative races — visible from a moving car, cheap enough to order in volume, and small enough that most yards and easements can accommodate it within local size limits. Larger 24×36 or 4×8 signs are typically reserved for high-visibility spots like busy corners or a campaign headquarters, and are more likely to trigger a local permit requirement.

Quantity. A realistic local campaign — school board through county board — usually orders somewhere in the range of 200 to 500 yard signs across a race, with a meaningful reserve held back for replacements, since signs get stolen, blown over, or mowed down with some regularity.

Placement strategy. Prioritize supporter yards along routes voters actually drive — the roads to schools, grocery stores, and the polling place itself — over scattering signs randomly. High-traffic corners and intersections do more work than a dozen signs on a quiet cul-de-sac. Cluster a few signs near polling locations (where legally permitted and outside any required setback) for election-day visibility, and keep a small "911 kit" of extra stakes and signs in your trunk for the inevitable replacement run.

Checklist before you print or place a single sign

• Confirm whether you're governed by FEC rules (federal office) or your state election code (state or local office).
• Get your state's current exact disclaimer wording, formatting, and minimum type size requirement from your state election authority — not a general guide.
• Check whether your state has a small-items exemption, and how narrowly it's drawn.
• Get written or verbal permission before placing any sign on someone else's property.
• Confirm your local ordinance's rules on right-of-way placement, size limits, and any permit requirements for large signs or banners.
• Check your state's HOA-and-political-signs law alongside any HOA's own covenants, if relevant.
• Note your local removal-window ordinance and schedule a volunteer pickup crew for right after the election.
• Decide whether a union bug makes sense for your district — most campaigns don't need one.

This page is general information for campaign planning purposes, not legal advice. Disclaimer and placement rules are set by federal law, state election codes, and local ordinances, and they change. Confirm your specific requirements with your state election authority (and the FEC, if you're a federal candidate) and your local municipal or county government before you print or place signs.

Getting this right by hand — right wording, right box, right size, for the right state — is exactly the kind of detail that's easy to get wrong under a filing-deadline deadline. FreedomVote's Print Shop applies your state's disclaimer automatically to every sign, palm card, and mailer you order, with a union bug available at no charge on request — but whether or not you ever order a sign from us, the placement and disclaimer rules above are worth getting right.