DOT Issues Statement About Political Signs

The Iowa Department of Transportation has issued a notice to remind campaign supporters about Iowa’s law regarding the placement of political signs and requirement to remove those that are improperly posted. Signs, including banners, are not allowed on any state highway right-of-way, including: roadway shoulders,
medians and ditches; bridges; trees and other natural features; traffic control signs and devices; and posts, gates and fences. If a sign is improperly posted on state highway right-of-way and it constitutes an immediate and dangerous hazard, it will be removed by the Iowa DOT without notice. The DOT cites several potential dangers from improperly placed signs, including the reduction of a driver’s view, distraction from his/her attention, compound damages or injuries in the event of a crash, endangering the safety of individuals who
are erecting the signs along busy highways, and forcing pedestrians and bicyclists into dangerous areas close to the road edge or onto difficult terrain alongside the road shoulder.