Seeing a lot of campaign signs in Arlington County? Details on what can and can’t be put out

ARLINGTON, VA - NOVEMBER 06: Signs stand outside of the Arlington Arts Center during the 2018 mid-term election on November 6, 2018 in Arlington, VA. Today millions of Americans headed to the polls to vote in the midterm elections that will decide what party will control the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)(Getty Images/Zach Gibson)

Have you been seeing a lot of campaign signs in medians in Arlington County, Virginia? Here’s a look at the rules on what can and can’t be posted.

The limit for campaigning in Arlington County is two signs per median per candidate or political issue, according to the code.

The code goes on to say they can’t be more than 4.5 square feet and no higher than 4 feet tall.

They may be placed up to 31 days before an election.

And they have to be removed pretty quickly after, within 5 days following an election.



InsideNova said Arlington County’s Zoning staff has been removing signs from the right of way proactively, and on a complaint basis.

They said they will remove those against the code and leave two that are allowed if they’re in the right spot.

The code says that candidates and political organizations are “responsible for reading and complying with the relevant statutory and regulatory provisions.”

The Virginia code prohibits the placement of all signs within the limits of a “state highway” with each violation subject to a fine of $100 plus the costs incurred by removing the sign.

Valerie Bonk

Valerie Bonk started working at WTOP in 2016 and has lived in Howard County, Maryland, her entire life. She's thrilled to be a reporter for WTOP telling stories on air. She works as both a television and radio reporter in the Maryland and D.C. areas. 

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up