Political signs may be subject to disclosure requirements found in the Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 16. Inquiries or complaints related to disclosure requirements on signs contained in Title 16 should be directed to the Town Clerk at 480-503-6871.
Political signs may also be subject to placement requirements found in the Town’s Land Development Code. Inquiries or complaints related to sign regulations found in the Land Development Code should be directed to Code Compliance at 480-503-6879.
Campaign Signs: Key Facts for the Public
As election season commences, campaign signage will become visible at street intersections, along Gilbert's roadways, and throughout our community. Political signs may be displayed on private property, provided that the property owner has granted permission. However, election signs must not be installed in locations that pose a risk to public safety, obstruct visibility, or conflict with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
Election signs are regulated through Arizona Revised Statute state law (ARS 16-1019) which outlines election sign placement, signage criteria, and more. Please refer to the link above for highlights of those requirements.
Residents may contact Gilbert Code Compliance to verify whether a political sign's placement requires immediate removal due to its location potentially being considered a hazardous situation to public safety. For other non-imminent cases, Code staff will inform the relevant candidate or campaign of the placement violation and then will allow 24 hours to address the issue. If the sign is not brought into compliance within 24 hours of notification, it will be subject to removal by staff.
There are a few ways to reach our Gilbert Code Compliance team:
When contacting Code Compliance of a potential sign issue, clearly specifying the location of the sign in question is both important and helpful. Once this information is provided, a case will be created, and an inspector will be assigned to review the potential issue. The inspector will then conduct an onsite inspection, document any findings, take photographs, and notify candidate staff of any violation observed. If a violation presents an imminent safety concern, the sign will be removed and held at our offices for 10 days, during which time a candidate or their staff may contact our offices to make an appointment to retrieve it.
Also, each political sign must display the name, telephone number, and website address of the candidate (or campaign committee contact). Residents may also contact the candidate directly to report a potential sign issue if they would like. However, please know that according to Arizona State law, it is a Class 2 misdemeanor for any person to knowingly remove, alter, deface, or cover any political sign of any candidate for public office. For this reason, residents are encouraged not to attempt to remove political signs themselves.
Additionally, Gilbert and other local jurisdictions may enforce temporary sign ordinances solely based on placement factors such as location, manner, or size, rather than the content of the sign. This policy follows a 2015 United States Supreme Court decision Reed vs. Town of Gilbert . Therefore, Code Compliance staff will not remove any temporary signs during this time as prescribed by this ruling or by State Statute, unless the sign as previously stated, creates a clear and present safety hazard.
Please be advised that campaign signs may be displayed along the public right-of-way until 15 days following the Arizona Primary Election on August 4, 2026, and the Arizona General Election on November 3, 2026. After this period, Gilbert will revert to our normal enforcement policies pertaining to temporary signage. After November 18th, Code Compliance staff will conduct a comprehensive review and notify all relevant parties of any remaining temporary signage including campaign signs.
Residents with additional questions related to political signs may contact the Gilbert Clerk’s Office at 480-503-6871. For questions related to the placement of political signs along state highways, which is not allowed, please contact ADOT at 602-712-6664.
One final note — if you’re eligible, don’t forget to participate in this election and vote. More information about Gilbert Council candidates and other election details are available at Elections | Gilbert, Arizona.
