Thursday, Oct 15, 2026

Are post-election campaign signs still up after 10 days considered litter?

My Edmonds News is affiliated with My Neighborhood News Group.

Litter is defined as “solid waste that is thrown, discarded or deposited where prohibited”. A placed political sign is not ‘discarded’. If it is discarded in blackberry bushes, it may not be clear who put it there. Litter is a civil infraction and carries a $50 fine for one cubic foot or less.

A sign in place 10 days post-election carries a $25 daily fine. However, there must be a formal notice, an opportunity to fix the problem, then a referral to the City Attorney. The conviction process may not be worth the recovered fine.

Lynnwood has similar litter civil infraction regulations. Mountlake Terrace litter violations are a misdemeanor.

A civil infraction is a minor non-criminal violation punished only by fines. A misdemeanor is a formal criminal offense.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

City of Edmonds City code (definition of litter)
City of Edmonds City Code (fine schedule)
City of Edmonds City code
City of Mountlake Terrace City code

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Are post-election campaign signs still up after 10 days considered litter?

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