Placement of political campaign signs and other unauthorized signs or other objects on state highway rights of way is prohibited under state law, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
In addition, signs may not be placed on private property outside of the highway right of way limits without landowner consent.
Highway right of way includes the driving lanes, inside and outside shoulders, ditches, sight corners at intersections and, in urban areas, most boulevards.
Mn/DOT crews will remove any unlawfully placed signs and impound them at one of its local highway maintenance operations facilities. Any unclaimed signs are thrown out.
Mn/DOT administers these laws in a fair and impartial manner — political campaign signs are treated in the same way as any other signs wrongly placed on state highway property by businesses, churches, private citizens or charitable groups.
Mn/DOT encourages the public to report apparent improper sign placement violations by calling 218-725-2700 in Duluth or 218-742-1100 on the Iron Range.
For information regarding the proper placement of campaign signs or where to find signs that have been removed, call Mn/DOT's Duluth office at 218-725-2780.
