Illegal Signs

Signs placed in the right-of-way that are not part of the roadway system are considered illegal under Pierce County Code. 

Such signs impact visibility for motorists and pedestrians, and impede Pierce County road maintenance activities.

Pierce County road crews remove illegal signs from the right-of-way as needed. Call (253) 798-6000 or visit PierceCountyWa.gov/Works to report an illegal sign.

Phone Pole With Hand Made Signs On Rural Forest Road

Sign removal by Pierce County

  • Any sign in the Right-of-Way (ROW) that poses a hazard to the traveling public will be removed once Planning and Public Works becomes aware of it.
  • Crews sweep high volume arterials as needed to clean the roadside and discourage future placement of signs.
  • Crews will respond to sign-related service requests as they are submitted.

Sign owners

Pierce County will hold signs at the Central Maintenance Facility in Frederickson for a minimum of one week or until the volume of signs requires that they be recycled at a local recycling center. You may call (253) 798-6000 to see if your sign is onsite and schedule a pick-up time.

If you believe your sign was improperly removed by Pierce County, you may file a Claim for Damage.

Determining Right-of-Way

Signs may not be placed in right-of-way. If you are unsure of where the right-of-way is located, please contact a licensed land surveyor.

You may also view this graphic to help you get a general idea of where the right-of-way boundary typically falls and what features the right-of-way typically includes.

Related Links

Pierce County Code, Chapter 12.28

Pierce County Code, Chapter 18B

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Phone: (253) 798-6000
Monday–Friday
7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Address:
4812 196th St. E
Spanaway, WA 98387