Maine Law Caps Political Signs at 12 Weeks in Public Right of Way
Kittery and other municipalities can impose tighter rules, and fines for overdue campaign signs are rarely issued, WMTW reported.
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Temporary signs, including campaign signs, may stand in Maine's public right of way for no more than 12 weeks a year, with a six-week ceiling in each half of the calendar year, under a state law the 129th Maine Legislature revised in 2019, WMTW reported.
Because the clock starts when each sign goes up, signs do not all come down on the same date. Two signs carrying substantially the same message must be set at least 30 feet apart.
The statute bars temporary signs from traffic control devices, utility poles, rotary traffic islands, trees in the public right of way, control-of-access areas and medians narrower than 6 feet. Painting or drawing messages on rocks or other natural features is also prohibited.
Campaigns that leave signs up past the six-week limit can be fined, though penalties are seldom assessed, according to WMTW.
Towns may go further. A notice posted on the town of Kittery's website, updated on July 1, 2026, says signs on public property there may go up no more than 30 days before the related election and must be taken down within two days after it.
On private land, signs may remain indefinitely at the owner's discretion if they stay out of the right of way and measure no more than 50 square feet. State law generally allows up to 10 signs per property, with a separate allowance of 10 for each business or point of interest operating on the same parcel.
This story was first reported by WMTW.
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