DOT: Political signs cannot be placed in state rights of way

Talk about it

PIERRE — The South Dakota Department of Transportation reminds the public that political campaign and ballot-issue signs cannot be placed on state highway rights of way.

“With the general election coming up, election signs are showing up along the state’s roadways,” says Bill Nevin of the DOT office of legal counsel. “We’re asking everyone to pay attention to where they put the signs and make sure they are outside of the rights of way and in locations that will not create safety hazards or distract motorists.”

The use of right of way is reserved for official highway signage. All signs in the right of way that are not required for traffic control, as authorized by law, are prohibited and will be removed. That includes both candidate and ballot-issue signs.

Municipal ordinances regulating placement and removal of campaign signs within towns and cities do not have precedence over state jurisdiction and supervision of state highway rights of way within municipalities.

Tags: news, updates, politics, signs, state