Signs in the right-of-way create an unsafe visual obstruction for motorists and are a form of pollution.
Prohibitions
Signs cannot be erected within the limits of any Miami-Dade County-maintained right-of-way. This includes, but is not limited to:
- All roadsides
- Sidewalks
- Utility poles
- Highway median strips
All roads and the land immediately next to them are considered rights-of-way unless they are in privately-owned developments.
Enforcement
To maintain and continually improve the quality of our neighborhoods, and ensure code compliance, neighborhood compliance officers routinely patrol neighborhoods to remove and dispose of signs, along with conducting numerous code enforcement duties.
A person placing a sign in the right-of-way shall be subject to an immediate fine up to $510 per sign.
Removal of illegal signs is costly. To offset this burden, tickets are issued without a prior warning for each sign that is removed by County personnel from the right-of-way.
Citation Amounts - first offense/second offense/subsequent offenses
- Signs less than 22” x 28”: $60 / $110 / $210
- Signs more than 22” x 28”: $160 / $310 / $610
- Banners, pennants streamers: $210 / $410 / $810
- Signs that penetrate a tree: $60 / $210 / $510
Penalties accrue and a lien may be placed on the property if the fines, enforcement costs and administrative costs are not paid or the violation not corrected.
Benefactors and/or erectors of signs may be required to repair any damage caused by the placement of the sign, including the replacement of any tree damaged or destroyed by the placement of the sign.
Sign vendor requirement
All retail stores that sell pre-printed informational signs, such as signs advertising garage sales, house for rent, house for sale, etc., must post, at their checkout counters, a sign in English, Spanish and Creole that advises customers that the placing of signs in the public right-of-way is illegal and that a person placing such signs shall be subject to an immediate citation.
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