Inform
Printed business ad signs staked along roadsides: What the rules say and how to report them
Printed advertising signs that businesses stake into the ground along roadsides are mostly barred from the public right-of-way. Here's who enforces them, how to report one, and this week's poll.
Printed advertising signs staked along roadsides around Olympia, South Bay and Johnson Point are generally not allowed in the public right-of-way under county, city and state rules. These are the small business ads pushed into the ground on wire stakes, not government or traffic signs.
Thurston County code prohibits signs, other than official ones, on or over public streets, sidewalks and rights-of-way. The county may remove signs placed where the code doesn't allow them. Olympia's sign code, OMC 18.43, also keeps most signs out of the right-of-way. Temporary signs there may carry only noncommercial messages, with limited exceptions such as yard-sale signs.
On state highways, WSDOT says only official traffic-control signs are allowed, and RCW 47.42.080 lets the agency remove others without notice.
Many staked ad signs fall over in wind and rain and end up as litter. Most list a business name and phone number, and some neighbors ask whether the rules are enforced often enough.
Residents can report signs on county roads through Thurston County Public Works' online "Report an Issue" tool or at 360-867-2300. In Olympia, the Permit Center answers sign-code questions at 360-753-8314.
Tell us what you think in This Week's Poll below.
Sources
- https://library.municode.com/wa/thurston_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT22TUURGRARZO_CH22.44SIRE
- https://library.municode.com/wa/thurston_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_CH20.40SILI_20.40.035EXSI
- https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/public-works/road-ops/traffic-information/issues-and-requests
- https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/public-works/contact-us-0
- https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/Olympia/html/Olympia18/Olympia1843.html
- https://www.olympiawa.gov/services/building_permits___land_use_review/sign_code.php
- https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=47.42.080
- https://wsdot.wa.gov/business-wsdot/highway-signs/political-signs-highways
