Signs, Flyers and Stickers on Poles and Public Property in San Diego

• Section 142.1206. The City's sign regulations make it unlawful to "place, post, paint or secure any sign, pennant, flag, banner, balloon, or similar attention-seeking device on public property or within the public right-of-way," and to place "any lettering, card, poster, or notice of any kind on any curb, sidewalk, street, pole, post, utility box, hydrant, bridge, tree, building, or other surface" on public property or in the public right-of-way, in each case unless the Municipal Code or a specific state statute provides otherwise.
• Section 142.1210. The general sign regulations repeat that signs are not permitted on public property or public rights-of-way, except signs authorized by law or otherwise permitted in the Municipal Code, and that the supports for any sign must be entirely within the premises where the sign is located.
• Strict liability. Section 142.1206 says violations are enforced under Chapter 12, Article 1 and "shall be treated as strict liability offenses regardless of intent." Separately, Municipal Code section 54.0110 makes it unlawful to place or allow to remain any object on a public street, alley, sidewalk or other public right-of-way, except as the Code provides.
• What counts as a sign. The Code's definitions (section 113.0103) define a sign broadly, including any banner, pennant, placard or temporary sign designed to advertise, identify or convey information. The public right-of-way is defined as a public easement for streets, alleys or other uses, which generally takes in sidewalks, parkways and medians as well as the roadway.

• Poles and posts. Section 142.1206 names poles, posts, utility boxes and hydrants specifically, so utility poles, street light poles, traffic signal poles and sign posts in the public right-of-way are all covered. For a broken or dark street light itself, see our street lights guide.
• Street trees. Municipal Code section 62.0606 says no one may attach or place any rope, wire, sign, poster or handbill, or other thing, on any tree, palm, shrub or plant growing in a street or public highway, or on its guard. Staples and nails can also damage the tree; see our street trees guide.
• Parks. Section 63.0102(c)(1) makes it unlawful to post or affix handbills, circulars, pamphlets, papers or advertisements to any tree, fence or structure in a park, or to throw or leave them on the ground there. See our parks guide.
• Official street banners. Section 142.1210 allows banners promoting cultural or civic events or activities of general public interest, but only on streets designated by City Council resolution, only on light standards the City has fitted with mounting hardware, with the required right-of-way permits, for no more than 30 calendar days plus one 30-day extension. Those banners may not be used for commercial or political advertising, except sponsor logos limited to 5 percent of the banner. Banners that meet these rules are lawful; others on light poles are not.
• Bus stops. Bus stops are in the public right-of-way, so the same Code sections apply to flyers taped to bus stop poles. Shelter and bench advertising is a separate, contracted program; see our bus stop guide.

The Code regulates where a sign goes, not what it says. Section 142.1210 even lets the owner of a lawful sign swap commercial copy for noncommercial copy, to avoid favoring one kind of message over another. What the Code says about common types of temporary signs, as of November 2, 2026:

• Yard and garage sale signs. In single dwelling unit residential zones, section 142.1265 allows yard sale signs that identify a yard sale on the premises during the hours of the sale: one single-faced sign per premises, no more than 9 square feet and 6 feet high. Multiple dwelling unit zones have a similar rule (section 142.1270). We found no Code provision allowing directional yard sale signs on poles or corners.
• Real estate and open house signs. Real estate signs must be placed entirely within the property lines of the premises they advertise and removed within 15 business days of sale or occupancy. Where the Code allows open house directional signs (for dwelling units in commercial and industrial zones), it says they may not be placed in the public right-of-way or on public property, may go on private property only with the owner's consent, and only during daylight hours.
• "We buy houses," lost-pet and other flyers. We did not find a City exception for any type of flyer or "bandit sign" on public poles, posts or medians. Section 142.1206 applies to any sign or notice on public property, whatever its purpose.
• Election and campaign signs. The Code treats them like any other sign on public property. As of November 2, 2026, we did not find a Municipal Code section or current City page creating an election-season exception or a time limit for signs on public property or in the right-of-way. The Code lists political signs among the "public interest messages" a lawful sign on private property may carry (section 142.1210).

• State utility rules. The California Public Utilities Commission's General Order 95, Rule 34 (Foreign Attachments), says nothing in the rules permits "the unauthorized attachment, to supply, street light or communication poles or structures, of antennas, signs, posters, banners, decorations" and other equipment foreign to overhead line construction, and that utilities are not required to grant permission for such use. Use of a shared pole needs the consent of every owner of the pole.
• SDG&E. SDG&E's pole attachment policy manual, written for telecommunication companies, says anyone attaching to its facilities must first sign a license agreement and get prior permission, and that verbal permission will not be given. As of November 2, 2026, we did not find an SDG&E page that addresses flyers or signs on its poles specifically, or says whether SDG&E removes them.
• Safety. Do not climb a pole or pull on anything attached near wires. Who owns which pole and wire, and who to call about a damaged pole, is covered in our downed lines and utility poles guide.

• The City may remove them without notice. Municipal Code section 121.0504 says the City Manager "may remove an unauthorized sign without notice to the responsible party," and may recover the removal costs through administrative or judicial procedures. If a sign might damage public or private property, the City notifies the responsible party to remove the sign and associated material within 10 calendar days and bills them if they do not; if immediate removal is needed for public safety, the responsible party is billed for it.
• Who is presumed responsible. Section 121.0502 presumes the responsible party is the person or organization named on the sign, including a candidate, a party supporting or opposing a ballot measure or candidate, anyone whose name or phone number appears on a sign advertising property for sale or rent or giving directions to it, the owner or tenant holding a yard or garage sale, and anyone named on a sign advertising an event. Section 121.0503 lets a person rebut that presumption with a declaration under penalty of perjury.
• Getting a removed sign back. Section 121.0504 says a removed sign may be returned once the removal costs are paid, and may be disposed of if not claimed within 30 calendar days. Under section 121.0506, the responsible party may request a hearing within 10 calendar days of removal; the hearing is limited to whether the sign was on public property. Section 121.0507 allows the City to set a civil penalty schedule for administrative citations; we did not find the current penalty amounts published.
• Removing a sign yourself. As of November 2, 2026, we did not find a City page or Code section that authorizes residents to remove signs from public property; the Code gives that power to the City Manager. With no City guidance either way, report the sign rather than take it down, and never remove anything from a utility pole. Section 121.0508 also says the Code does not make the City liable for failing to remove an illegal sign.

Municipal Code section 54.0402 defines graffiti as "any unauthorized inscription, word, figure, picture, or design that is sprayed, marked, posted, pasted or otherwise affixed, drawn, or painted on any surface of public or private property," and says graffiti "shall not mean a sign" as the Code defines it. So tags, slap stickers and paint on a pole, utility box or traffic sign are reported as graffiti, while an advertising sign or flyer falls under the sign rules above.

• Report it as Graffiti. Use Get It Done Graffiti or call 619-527-7500. The report form says the City removes graffiti from City property, while private owners and utility companies are responsible for graffiti on their own property; the guide to Get It Done reports says reports may be referred to providers such as Cox, AT&T or SDG&E. As of November 2, 2026 the form estimated 5 days on public property.
• More detail. Removal times, owners' duties and what to do if your own property is tagged are in our graffiti guide.

As of November 2, 2026, the City's Get It Done page and its guide to report types did not list an "Illegal Signs" category. These are the routes the City's own pages point to:

• Code enforcement (sign regulations). Sign violations are enforced by the Development Services Department's Building & Land Use Enforcement Division, which takes a Request for Investigation online, by mail or at 619-236-5500. An SDPD crime prevention handout lists "illegally posted signs" among violations to report to that intake line. The division's priority list places signs under Alternative Compliance, which sends letters rather than inspecting, so expect a slow response.
• Get It Done "Other". For a sign or object on a street, sidewalk or light pole, Get It Done's Other report (streets, sidewalks and lights) is the general option. The City says Other reports are not processed automatically and may take more time, so add a clear photo and location.
• A traffic sign is covered up. If a flyer or banner hides a stop sign or other traffic sign, use Get It Done Traffic Sign; the City's Get It Done guidelines list Faded Sign, Knocked Over, Missing Sign and Other as its options.
• Urgent: 619-527-7500. For a sign or banner creating an immediate street hazard, Get It Done lists 619-527-7500 for urgent street-related issues. Call 911 if someone could be hurt. For Get It Done in general, see our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego.
• What to include. The nearest address or cross street, what the sign is attached to (utility pole, street light, sign post, tree, median), how many there are along the street, and a photo. Any name or phone number printed on the sign helps the City identify the presumed responsible party.

Signs on private property, such as in a yard, on a fence or on a building, are governed by the zone-by-zone rules in the sign regulations, and some need a sign permit; Information Bulletin 111 explains which. A sign that breaks those rules is a code enforcement matter: file a Request for Investigation with Building & Land Use Enforcement. As of November 2, 2026, the division handles sign complaints through Alternative Compliance, sending information to both the property and the complainant, and suggests talking with neighbors or mediation. Billboards are on its list of complaint types not currently enforced. Our code enforcement guide explains the process.