Ask Trooper Steve: Can you attach items to street signs?

Attaching items to street signs is a code enforcement violation, Trooper Steve says

ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.

The question this week: Can someone attach items to a street sign?

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If you have driven through any large intersection or even just about anywhere really, you’ve seen some type of signage attached to a traffic control device on either the shoulder or the median. Usually, it’s a private company, or this time of year a political sign of some sort. Sometimes you may see a bicycle chained to a street sign too.

“Let’s address the question as a general question,” Montiero said. “The sign does not belong to you and belongs to the local government for the purpose of traffic flow. Anyone who places a sign or anything on a traffic control device is subject to fines through code enforcement. All the signs that you see saying ‘buy here pay here’ or ‘we buy houses’ or ‘vote for me’ are in violation of local code enforcement ordinances.”

What about the bicycle? Trooper Steve says that too, however —

“Yes, technically, this would be a code enforcement violation, but with everything there is discretion. I am guilty of doing this as a young boy who rode his bicycle to the local bus stop. I am not saying that this is not a violation, but I am saying that we should sometimes pick our battles,” Montiero said.

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