Illegal Signs Coming Down One of the side effects of a booming real estate market is the proliferation of roadside signs. Anyone riding around St. Mary's County is well aware of this. Most of the small signs you see advertising housing developments are not legal.
Signs placed on utility poles advertising private businesses are also illegal.
In the past, there were jurisdictional issues regarding who could remove these signs. Director of Permits and Inspections Robin Guyther announced that the inspectors would begin removing unpermitted signs immediately. Guyther noted that real estate signs are limited to placement on the property that is for sale and that permits are not required if the sign is less than 5 sq. He reminded people that political campaign signs do not require permits, but need to have the permission of the property owner on which they are located. Political signs must be removed within 15 days after the general election.