posted on 11/7/2026; updated: 11/8/2026

The City of Dover Department of Planning and Community Development will begin cleaning up “off-premise” signs next week, removing signs placed on trees, utility poles, or within the right-of-way without permission, including illegally placed campaign signs.

In Dover, non-political temporary signs are permitted only in selected commercial zoning districts and must meet dimensional and liability requirements. With a few exceptions, temporary signs not placed on the owner’s property — known as off-premise signs — are prohibited throughout Dover. State law prohibits placing political signs on public property, including highway rights-of-way, or on private property without the owner’s consent. All legally placed political signs must be removed no later than the second Friday following the election, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026.

The city advises sign owners to remove illegally placed signs prior to the clean-up, which will occur throughout the week of November 9, 2026. The city will hold any sign it collects at City Hall for 30 days before recycling or destroying it, unless the owner claims it. Repeat offenders may be prosecuted and fined....more