News

California City Bans Signs on Public Property

New ordinance stems from excessive campaign sign complaints.

Published

11 months ago

June 29, 2023

Signs of the Times Staff

Downtown Livermore, CA. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKI COMMONS

Livermore, a city in California’s East San Francisco Bay area, will prohibit signs on public property starting this Saturday. The ban includes signs directing people to yard sales, children’s lemonade stands and open houses. The city council approved the ban in December 2022 and it will now be enforced on July 1.

The ban originated from numerous complaints received by council members during the previous election cycle regarding campaign signs on public property, reports CBS Bay Area. To comply with legal requirements, the ordinance cannot target signs based on their content but can establish a content-neutral ban on all signs in public areas.

Concerns have been raised about potential unintended consequences impacting individuals involved in real estate transactions, small businesses, and other endeavors reliant on sign advertising. The increased costs associated with alternative advertising methods could pose challenges to some.

The council emphasized the goal of maintaining Livermore as a clean and beautiful community, with exceptions made for the downtown development district where signs will still be allowed on sidewalks.

Violating the ordinance does not carry fines; rather, city workers will remove unlawful signs. The council acknowledges the possibility of revising or completely repealing the ban if unintended consequences arise.

Similar sign bans on public property exist in other cities, including Berkeley and numerous locations in Southern California.

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