MRSC Insight Blog

Posts for Sign Control

Read the Signs: New Ruling Clarifies On-/Off-Premises Sign Regulation

July 25, 2022 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Sign Control

The 2015 ruling in Reed v. Town of Gilbert made on-/off premise sign regulation more challenging for local governments. A new ruling in City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising clarifies content-based regulations, giving local governments some breathing room.

Regulating Signs During Election Season

August 19, 2021 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Elections , Sign Control

This blog will touch on some frequently asked questions regarding the regulation of political signage.

Regulating Non-Commercial Temporary Signs During Election Season

October 13, 2020 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Elections , Sign Control

This blog post provides a brief refresher on how a jurisdiction may regulate temporary, campaign-related signs in a post-Reed v. Gilbert environment.

Ninth Circuit Holds Reed v. Town of Gilbert Does Not Extend to Commercial Speech

October 3, 2017 by Robert Sepler
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Sign Control

On August 16, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Contest Promotions v. City and County of San Francisco, providing its first official guidance on the question of whether Reed v. Town of Gilbert controls the regulation of commercial speech as well as noncommercial speech. In this blog post, MRSC Legal Consultant Robert Sepler gives an overview of this case.

Regulating Political Signs in Election Season: Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign…

September 26, 2016 by Jill Dvorkin
Category: Elections , Sign Control

Reed presents a significant problem for local governments because most, if not all, sign codes adopted before that decision regulate categories of signs based on content, such as a category for political or real estate signs. Even though the Reed decision was issued over a year ago, local governments are still struggling with how to revise their sign codes to comply with its holding. Today’s blog post will consider how Reed may affect the regulation of political and other types of temporary signs going forward.

The Importance of Bringing Your Sign Code Up-to-Date

October 29, 2015 by Steve Butler
Category: Sign Control

Practical tips for how to update your sign code in order to address the implications of the recent Reed v. Town of Gilbert case.

Courts in the Ninth Circuit Decline to Extend Reed v. Town of Gilbert to Commercial Speech

October 23, 2015 by Robert Sepler
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Sign Control

After the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision in Reed v. Town of Gilbert four months ago striking down that Arizona town’s sign code as being unconstitutionally content-based, some commentators, including one from The New York Times, were quick to raise the alarm that the decision would have consequences far beyond local sign codes. Although the decision has undoubtedly created uncertainty, it has not yet led to any such consequences so far in the Ninth Circuit, the federal circuit that includes Washington State.

US Supreme Court Issues Significant Sign Code Decision

June 24, 2015 by Maurice King
Category: Court Decisions and AGO Opinions , Sign Control

On June 18, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that an Arizona town’s sign code placed unconstitutional content-based restrictions on speech, in violation of the First Amendment. The court’s decision in Reed v, Town of Gilbert almost certainly places many sign ordinances throughout the state, and the country, on questionable legal footing.

Sign Code Update: Finding the Sweet Spot between Flexibility & Clutter Management

May 26, 2015 by Bob Bengford
Category: Guest Author , Sign Control

A case study in integrating form-based and street graphic approaches into the sign code update for the City of Lacey.

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