Whakarāpopototanga o ngā ture e pā ana ki ngā tohu pōtitanga Election sign rules

Elections sign rules are listed in the Auckland Transport and Auckland Council Signs Bylaw 2022.

Changes to election sign sites 

Auckland Transport recently updated the list of approved election sign sites. Some sites have been removed, as they were no longer appropriate for election signs. Some new sites have also been added to the list.

Check the full list of approved election sign sites on the Auckland Transport website.

How to complain about a sign 

If you find a sign that breaks section 122 of the Local Electoral Act 2001 by not identifying who is responsible for publishing or promoting an election-related message, contact the Electoral Officer on 09 973 5212. 

If you find a sign that breaks the Signs Bylaw 2022, contact our call centre and register a complaint.

Rules on where you can put up an election sign 

Under the Signs Bylaw (clause 17), a sign must include an authorising statement that includes:

• the name of the person officially approving the advertisement
• that person's residential or business address.

This may be the same individual as the contact person for the sign. 

Clause 17 allows election signs that are not otherwise allowed as signs. Clause 17 does not apply to billboards, which have their own rules.

Where election signs can be displayed 

There are three types of sites for election signs:

• not controlled by the council (for example, private property)
• controlled by the council (for example, a specific location where election signs are legally allowed on a road or park)
• a moving or non-moving vehicle or trailer.

Rules for all election signs 

All election signs must:

• only be displayed within the nine-week period before election day. The nine-week period before election day begins on Saturday 9 August 2025 (at 12.01 am)
• display the name, contact details and phone number of the person responsible for installing, maintaining and removing the sign. These must be readable from a distance of 1m so council staff responding to a sign issue can contact the person
• follow rules in the bylaw (clauses 19 to 29) applying to all signs 
• be removed before midnight on the day before election day, Saturday 11 October 2025
• have a maximum size display area of  3m² for each panel
• not be lit internally or externally by artificial lighting
• not include any changeable message (for example, any mechanical or electronic moving images or displays)
• not include any moveable part or light that is intended to draw attention to the sign
• have any alterations or additions securely fixed within the area of the sign (for example, posters, pamphlets, flags or other material attached to a sign). 

Sign rules for a non-council site

Non-council site rules apply on top of the rules already outlined on this page.

• The sign must be directed at the road (for example, it must not be on a boundary fence with a sign facing into the park).
• If the sign is attached to a fence (for example, on a front boundary and facing the road) it must be flat wall-mounted and have a depth of no more than 0.03m (30mm).

You must have permission from the property occupier and/or owner to display an election sign on private property.

Sign rules for a council site 

A candidate may display:

• one sign at each separate location promoting themselves for each elected position they are running for, although a candidate running for two positions can have two signs
• one sign at each separate location promoting their association with another candidate or candidates as a team or party. Two candidates can have one sign each promoting themselves alone and one other sign promoting both candidates as a team or party.

A political party in a general election may display one sign at each separate location promoting their party.

Election signs on a vehicle or trailer 

An election sign on a moving or non-moving vehicle or trailer must meet all existing election signs, plus several others, including:

• signs must not remain parked on a road for more than four hours a day. For example, a trailer sign may be lawfully parked on Dominion Road for three hours and then moved to a lawful parking spot on Sandringham Road
• signs must follow the rules for displaying on vehicles in clause 18 of the Signs Bylaw (PDF 2MB), in that when on a council-controlled public place, signs must not stick out from the vehicle in a way that creates a safety risk or inconvenience to the public.

Type of signs allowed 

Signs must be free-standing and not attached to any other structure, such as a sign, building, tree, bus shelter, street furniture, traffic control device, power, light or telephone pole.

Structure of signs 

Election signs may consist of a single-sided panel or double-sided panel - or two panels displayed back-to-back.

On locations specified under the Signs Bylaw clause 30, some signs may be V-shaped. They may consist of two panels (or four if back-to-back) attached at one edge to the same post and with a maximum distance of 2m between the opposite edges at the widest point of the ‘V’.

Rules on sign size 

• The maximum sign height above ground level is 3m.
• The minimum height of a billboard is 0.5m (500mm).
• Each sign must have a display area of at least 0.25m² (A2 paper size).

Sign placement 

• Signs must not be placed directly under any part of a tree.
• Signs must be at least 0.5m away from a footpath, cycle path or vehicle crossing.
• Signs must comply with the 'distance from kerb face' rules in clause 24 (see the summary of the rules applying to all signs).

Other rules 

Each individual site may have additional rules specific to its location. To find out more, find the site's address in Auckland Transport's list of approved locations.

Penalties for breaking the Signs Bylaw 

• Council can alter, remove, seize and dispose of a sign if it breaks the bylaw.
• Council can recover any costs of removal or alteration from the person who broke the bylaw.
• You may be fined: 
  • under the Local Government Act 2002, up to $20,000
  • under the Land Transport Act, up to $1000.

Removing election signs 

All election signs must be removed from all areas by 11.59pm on Friday 10 October 2025.

The location of a sign must be returned to the condition it was in before once the sign is removed.

More information 

• Read the Signs Bylaw 2022 on the Auckland Council website.
• Check the list of approved sites for public election signs on the Auckland Transport (AT) website.
• Read the list of rules for displaying election signs on private or public property in clause 17 of the Signs Bylaw 2022.