Yes, it’s a crime to steal or remove political campaign signs

Many people proudly display their support for a candidate each election season with political campaign signs. But sometimes things get tense when neighbors supporting different candidates display opposing signs — or when signs go missing.

A Threads user named Jason said his “Kamala Signs were removed while we were away from our home.”

One comment liked hundreds of times on Threads responding to his post claimed it’s a federal crime to remove political signs from a person’s yard. 

THE QUESTION

Is removing a political sign from someone’s yard a crime?

THE SOURCES

• FindLaw

• Cornell Legal Information Institute

• North Carolina state law

• Arizona state law

THE ANSWER

Yes, removing or stealing a political sign from someone’s yard is a crime.

WHAT WE FOUND

It’s a crime to remove a political yard sign from private property and on public property in areas where signs are allowed by local laws. 

Theft or vandalism of a legally placed political sign is a crime in all 50 states, according to FindLaw. States usually treat the crime as a misdemeanor. Additionally, if the offender entered private property without permission to steal the sign, they could also be charged with trespassing, FindLaw says.

A misdemeanor is typically a crime punishable by less than 12 months in jail, although community service, probation and fines can be issued instead of or in conjunction with imprisonment, the Cornell Legal Information Institute says.

Political campaign signs are generally considered personal property both when placed on private property and when lawfully placed in public places, which means removing one is considered theft.

Most states have laws dictating where and when political signs may be placed on public property, and political signs that are not in line with these rules don’t have the same protections. 

For example, in North Carolina, political signs are permitted to be placed in the right-of-way of state highways between 30 days before the start of early voting and 10 days after Election Day. However, any political sign that is still in the right-of-way 30 days after the date they’re supposed to be removed “shall be deemed unlawfully placed and abandoned property, and a person may remove and dispose of such political sign without penalty.”

In Arizona, it is a misdemeanor to “remove, alter, deface or cover any political sign of any candidate for public office” from 71 days before Election Day to 15 days after Election Day. If a sign is in a public right-of-way, has the candidate’s contact information on it, doesn’t surpass size limitations and isn’t a hazard to public safety, a local official cannot lawfully remove it during that period.

While stealing or removing a political sign is a state crime across the country, it isn't a federal crime, despite what some have posted online, according to lists by the FBI and Clarifacts, a background check service.