Real estate sign rules: 811 locates, HOAs, what the sign says and removal

Rules at a glance

811 is the free national call-before-you-dig number. It connects you to your state's one-call center, where you request a utility locate: the utilities mark their buried lines before anyone digs. Here's how the seven states in this guide answer three common questions. "Not covered" means this guide doesn't cover that rule for that state, not that no rule exists.

Does a sign stake or post need an 811 locate?

In Arizona, California, Virginia and Washington, yes: a stake driven with a hammer counts as excavation. Texas draws its line differently, at powered or mechanized digging 16 inches deep or more.

Every state has its own one-call law, and the notice periods and other requirements vary by state (NCSL). The FCC set 811 aside as the national number for those one-call centers in 2005. Here's where five states draw the line for a sign.

• Arizona. Excavation includes driving with any tool or equipment, and the definition sets no minimum depth (A.R.S. 40-360.21). So driving a sign stake counts. Utility operators have two working days after a request to mark their lines. So request the locate at least two working days ahead (A.R.S. 40-360.22). Under a 2026 amendment, a hired installer must also outline the dig area in white before requesting the locate.
• California. Excavation includes driving with tools, and the law has no sign or hand-tool exception for a hired installer (Gov. Code 4216). Mark out the dig area first. Then notify 811 at least two working days, and no more than 14 calendar days, before work starts. The day you call doesn't count (Gov. Code 4216.2). A ticket, the record of a locate request, stays valid for 28 days.
• Texas. State law defines excavation as digging with explosives or powered or mechanized equipment that disturbs soil 16 inches deep or more (Utilities Code 251.002). A post hole dug with a powered auger to that depth meets the test. Notice then goes in at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays, and no more than 14 days ahead (251.151).
• Virginia. The one-call law's definition of excavation leaves out one kind of sign. It's a sign on metal, plastic or wooden poles pushed into the ground by hand or by foot, with no tools or equipment (Va. Code 56-265.15). Driving a stake with a hammer or post driver, or digging or augering a post hole, counts as excavation. In those cases, call 811 first. The law also exempts hand digging by the property's owner or occupant (Va. Code 56-265.15:1). That exemption doesn't reach a hired installer.
• Washington. The state's utilities commission says a locate must be requested for any sign, including real estate signs. State law requires notice at least two full business days, and no more than 10, before work starts. The dig area must be marked in white (RCW 19.122.030). The exemption for digging less than 12 inches deep on private noncommercial property covers only the person who owns or occupies the property, or that person's employee. It doesn't cover a hired installer (RCW 19.122.031).

For a state not listed here, or a job that doesn't fit these definitions, request the locate anyway. The call is free.

Does the 811 locate cover sprinkler lines?

No. An 811 locate marks the utility companies' lines, not private ones. Sprinkler lines, invisible pet fences and power run to a shed or pool generally aren't marked. The property owner has to locate them or hire a private locator, as Minnesota's one-call center, Gopher State One Call, explains.

That matters most at a vacant listing, where nobody is home to point the lines out. Before a stake goes in, ask the owner or listing agent where the sprinkler heads, valve boxes, pet-fence flags and yard lights are. Put that on the order, so the sign stands clear of them.

Can an HOA ban a for-sale sign?

In Arizona and Utah, state law stops an HOA from banning a standard for-sale sign on the owner's property. California voids deed restrictions and covenants that ban a reasonable one, and Virginia limits HOAs in a narrower way. Texas and Florida HOA laws don't protect for-sale signs, so the HOA's own rules decide.

An HOA's rules start with its recorded covenants, often called CC&Rs (covenants, conditions and restrictions), plus any rules its board adopts. Here's what six states say about for-sale signs.

• Arizona. An HOA can't ban or charge a fee for a commercially produced for-sale, for-rent or for-lease sign and rider on the owner's property (A.R.S. 33-1808). A rider is the small panel that hangs with the main sign. The standard size is up to 18 × 24 inches for the sign and 6 × 24 inches for the rider. For-sale-by-owner signs count. The law covers only commercially produced signs, so an HOA can ban homemade ones. Rent and lease signs get the same protection unless the community's documents prohibit or restrict leasing. Condominium associations follow the same rules under A.R.S. 33-1261.
• California. A deed restriction or CC&R that bans a reasonably placed, reasonably sized for-sale, for-lease or directional sign on the owner's property is void (Civil Code 712). An HOA can still set reasonable sign rules. A sign that meets the local ordinance adopted under Civil Code 713 counts as reasonable in size and design. A sign on common area needs the association's consent. A separate law, Civil Code 4730, voids HOA rules that arbitrarily or unreasonably restrict an owner's ability to market a home. It doesn't apply to real estate sign rules made under Civil Code 712 or 713.
• Utah. An HOA rule can't stop a lot owner from showing a for-sale sign on the lot, the home's exterior or the front yard. The HOA can reasonably regulate when, where and how it's posted (Utah Code 57-8a-218).
• Virginia. An HOA or condo association can't make an owner use the association's own sign, unless state law or the community's recorded governing documents expressly allow it (Va. Code 55.1-1822 and 55.1-1961). It can ban signs on common areas. It can also set reasonable rules on how many signs, where they go, how they're attached and how soon they come down after settlement. It must allow at least one sign.
• Florida. Florida's HOA and condo laws protect certain flags, and HOA owners can post a security company's sign, but neither law protects for-sale signs, so the association's own rules decide. One narrow rule covers mobile homes. A mobile home park owner can't ban a "for sale" sign on or in a resident's mobile home (Fla. Stat. 723.058). The park can still set reasonable rules on the sign's size, placement and look. The law covers parks with 10 or more lots offered for rent or lease, and mobile home subdivisions.
• Texas. Texas has no HOA sign protection like Arizona's, so the HOA's deed restrictions and rules decide. Read them before you put up a sign.

Other states set their own rules. Wherever the home is, read the HOA's CC&Rs and current rules first. Then ask the management company or your broker whether a state law changes what they say.

What must a real estate sign say?

State license rules decide, and Texas, California and Florida each ask for something different. Texas wants the broker's name, California wants the agent's license number when an agent is named, and Florida wants the brokerage's licensed name. Fair housing rules apply everywhere.

• Texas. A sign that advertises a listing must show the broker's name (22 TAC 535.155). The name must be at least half the size of the largest agent or team contact information on it. A license number isn't required. A directional sign that carries only the broker's name or logo isn't treated as an advertisement.
• California. A sign that names an agent must show that agent's eight-digit license number and the responsible broker's name (10 CCR 2773). That covers for-sale, for-rent, open house and directional signs. The number's type can't be smaller than the smallest type on the sign. A sign that names only the responsible broker, or carries no licensee name or branding, needs no license number.
• Florida. Every real estate advertisement must include the brokerage firm's licensed name (Fla. Admin. Code 61J2-10.025). Plan for it on the sign panel. If an agent's name appears, at least the last name must match the license record.
• Fair housing, in every state. Federal fair housing rules treat a sign like any other housing ad (24 CFR 100.75). A sign can't use words, photos or symbols that signal a preference based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin. State and local laws can protect more groups.

A program that prints one panel design for many states should check each proof against these rules before anything is printed. A team-branded panel built for one state can miss Texas's broker-name size rule or California's license number.

When must the listing be in the MLS after the sign goes up?

Within one business day, in MLSs that follow NAR's Clear Cooperation Policy. In those MLSs, a yard sign counts as public marketing. Once the sign goes up, the listing broker has one business day to submit the listing to the MLS.

Since 2025, a seller can choose a delayed-marketing listing instead. It sits in the MLS but stays off other brokers' websites and listing portals for a period the local MLS sets, and it can still carry a sign. The policy applies to MLSs owned by Realtor associations. MLSs that aren't affiliated with a Realtor association aren't subject to NAR's MLS policies.

That makes the install date a compliance date. Put the go-live date on every sign order, and keep the install from going in before it.

Where can a real estate sign go?

On private property with the owner's permission, unless a city ordinance or permit clearly allows the public right-of-way. The right-of-way is the public land along a road: sidewalks, parkways (the strip between the sidewalk and the curb), medians and shoulders. It can reach past the sidewalk into what looks like the front yard, so don't assume the grass by the street belongs to the house.

• California. Civil Code 713 lets an owner or their agent post a sign on the owner's property offering the home for sale, lease or exchange. That holds even if a local ordinance says otherwise. The sign must be reasonably placed, reasonable in size and design, and safe for the public and traffic, as the city or county judges it. The law also leaves cities and counties free to limit or regulate signs on a public or private right-of-way. Placing an advertising sign on state, city or county property without permission is a misdemeanor under Penal Code 556.
• Texas. A sign can't go in a public road's right-of-way unless state law allows it (Transportation Code 393.002). The main exception is a city street. A city can authorize signs in the right-of-way of roads it maintains, but not on state highways (393.0025). The other exceptions cover government-run directional sign programs and utility signs, not private real estate signs (393.0026). Without a city ordinance or permit that allows it, keep the sign on private property with the owner's permission.
• Local codes. Coronado, California, bars real estate signs from all public rights-of-way. Hendersonville, Tennessee's planning department rules keep them out of the public right-of-way too. Lakeway, Texas, keeps open house directional signs at least 10 feet from the pavement and out of medians.

Texas penalties. Since September 1, 2025, under HB 3611, the civil penalty can reach $1,000 for a first violation. The cap is $2,500 for a second and $5,000 for a third or later one. Before a first-violation penalty, the local government must send written notice and give a deadline to remove the sign (Transportation Code 393.007). The person whose ad is on the sign can be held liable, not just whoever placed it.

Not sure where the line is? Ask the city or county planning or public works office, or check the property survey. When in doubt, set the sign back from the street, on the owner's lot.

What are the rules for open house and directional signs?

Open house and directional signs usually face the tightest limits. They stand away from the listing, often at nearby corners, so they usually sit on land the seller doesn't own.

• Days and hours. In Lakeway, Texas, open house directional signs are allowed only on Saturdays and Sundays. They go up no earlier than 30 minutes before the open house and come down within 30 minutes after it closes. Hendersonville, Tennessee, allows up to four off-site directional signs per open house, Friday through Sunday only, removed by Monday at 10 a.m.
• Someone else's lawn needs permission. California's Civil Code 713 covers signs giving directions to the property, on the owner's land or on someone else's land with their consent. It leaves cities and counties free to limit or regulate signs on the right-of-way, such as sidewalks, parkways and medians. Lakeway also requires the property owner's permission for a sign on private property.
• HOAs. In Arizona, an HOA can't require a particular open house sign. It can bar open houses before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m., and it can ban open house signs on common areas. Arizona condo associations can keep them off the common elements too. The law protects temporary open house signs but doesn't mention directional signs. For a sign away from the listing, check the city's rules and get the property owner's permission.
• Size and count. Lakeway allows open house directional signs up to 18 × 24 inches and 3 feet tall, one per change of direction. Hendersonville caps off-site open house directional signs at 1 square foot.
• The right-of-way. Keep directional signs out of the public right-of-way and medians unless the city clearly allows them there. In Texas, a city can authorize them on streets it maintains, but not on state highways.

Check the city's rules before every open house. They can change from one town to the next.

Can a real estate sign be lit or reflective?

Not everywhere. Some cities ban lit or reflective real estate signs. Coronado, California's code says real estate signs "shall not be illuminated." Scottsdale, Arizona, bars illumination and reflective materials on off-site directional signs for open houses. Check the local sign code before adding a solar light or a reflective face.

How soon after closing must a sign come down?

By the deadline the local rules or the HOA set. In the three local rules checked for this guide, that deadline runs from 3 to 15 days.

• Hendersonville, Tennessee: 3 days. Hendersonville requires for-sale, rental and lease signs to come down within three days of closing. Source: the city planning department's sign rules, last revised March 1, 2024.
• Fairfax County, Virginia: 7 days after settlement, rental or lease. Source: Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance § 7100.4.B(1), adopted November 21, 2023.
• Coronado, California: 15 days after close of escrow (the closing), or after a rental agreement or lease is signed. Source: Coronado Municipal Code § 86.60.110, current through June 16, 2026.

What can go wrong with the rules, and how is it handled?

Each of these has a simple fix when it's caught before install day.

How do you check the rules for an address?

Run these six checks before the sign goes up.

1. The city or county sign code. Search for the city's name plus "sign code" or "sign ordinance," or call the planning or zoning office. Look for sections on real estate, temporary, open house and directional signs. Outside city limits, ask the county.
2. The HOA's documents. Read the CC&Rs and the current rules. The management company can tell you how they're applied.
3. State law. Check whether the state limits HOA sign rules, the way Arizona, California, Utah and Virginia do. Your broker or local Realtor association can usually point you to it.
4. The state's one-call law. Find out whether a stake or post counts as excavation there, and how much notice it needs. Then request the locate through 811.
5. The property owner. Get permission, in writing if you can, for any sign on land the seller doesn't own.
6. The license rules. Check what the panel must show in that state, as in the section on what a sign must say.

For permits on business and storefront signs rather than real estate signs, see the state sign permit guides.

How does a multi-market program handle rules that change at every state line?

It sets the rule per state and checks it per address, instead of running one policy everywhere. A program with listings in several states meets a different one-call law in each state. It also meets a different sign code in each city and different HOA rules at many addresses. Five habits keep that manageable:

• Set the 811 rule state by state. A stake driven with a tool needs a locate in Arizona, California and Virginia, and Washington requires one for any sign. Texas draws its line at powered digging 16 inches deep or more.
• Date every order. The go-live date drives the locate notice and the MLS clock.
• Flag the HOA addresses, so someone reads that HOA's sign rules before install day.
• Check every panel proof against the content rule of the state where it will stand.
• Schedule the removal with the install, with the local deadline in mind.

What we need from you. For each address, send the go-live date and the removal trigger: a closing, a lease signing or an end date. Say whether the home is in an HOA, and send any sign rules you have. Note any private lines you know about. Send those details with the order so the right sign goes up. The quote checklist lists everything else to send.

Signavero installs and removes yard and real estate signs across many markets at once. Signavero covers all 50 states through a network of local installers and print partners. Signavero manages the whole project and is your single point of contact. We work with local fabrication and installation partners and vet every crew before we send it to a site. We're responsible for quality and schedule.

Every address moves through the same stages, from the order to the removal, and one Signavero project manager handles every address. When you compare vendors, ask each one the same written questions. See how a multi-market real estate sign program works.

One listing in one town? A local post company, one of the small firms that set sign posts for agents, is the simplest choice when it already works that town. Signavero is built for programs across many markets, where the rules change at every state line.

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