Campaign Signs: What Are The Rules In Cookeville?

Campaign season brings a multitude of signs across the Upper Cumberland region, but what are the rules behind placement.

Cookeville Codes Department Director Jeff Littrell said it is quite simple in the city limits.

“You don’t need to put them on the utility poles, telephone poles, electric poles, because that’s going to be a danger to anybody working on that line,” Littrell said. “If you do any kind of signs, be aware of your surroundings.”

Littrell said push-in signs of all sizes are allowed but not on city right-of-way. Littrell said if you are unsure where that is, a safe practice is placing a sign 15 feet away from the edge.

“That will just help when the utility crews coming through to mow the right-of-ways or something like that,” Littrell said.

Littrell said if the department does find a sign that is blocking visibility, owners will be notified to remove it. Littrell said the city usually does not face many issues when it comes to campaign signs.

“A lot of it is just lack of education of what you can and cannot do,” Littrell said. “This year I had several candidates call and ask what they can and cannot do.”