SF4271 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))
Notice of sign removal requirement
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
The bill creates a requirement for cities (municipalities) to notify sign owners after a street sign is removed from public property, and it sets rules for what happens if the sign isn’t claimed.
Main Provisions
- New rule added to Minnesota Statutes (chapter 471) about removal of signage by a municipality.
- Definitions:
- Sign: any device or placard that uses graphics, symbols, or writing to advertise, inform, or attract attention for pedestrians or people driving.
- Municipality: as defined in another statute (section 462.352, subdivision 2).
- The term “sign” covers signs on streets that are visible and meant to communicate to people in the area.
- Notice after removal:
- If a municipality removes a sign from a street right-of-way and the sign lists the owner’s contact information, the municipality must contact the sign owner within 24 hours of removal.
- The municipality must create a process to allow the owner to retrieve the sign at a reasonable time and place.
- Unclaimed signs:
- If the owner does not claim the sign within 30 days of removal, the municipality may dispose of the sign (trash, recycle, or other disposal).
Significance / What changes
- Establishes a clear, time-bound process for sign removal in local government.
- Shifts some responsibility to municipalities to track and return signs, or dispose of them if unclaimed.
- Provides a formal framework for how sign owners can recover their signs after removal.
Affected Parties
- Municipalities (local governments) that manage street right-of-ways.
- Sign owners (individuals or organizations listed as owners on the sign).
Scope
- Applies to signs that are removed from a street right-of-way and that include owner contact information for notice purposes.
Timeline and Process Details
- Notice to owner within 24 hours of removal.
- Retrieval window to be determined by an established, reasonable process (not specified beyond “reasonable time and place”).
- 30-day period to claim the sign before disposal rights apply.
Relevant changes to existing law - Introduces a new statutory requirement (471.9999) governing notice, retrieval, and disposal of removed signage by municipalities. - Clarifies definitions related to signage and local government authority in this context.
Relevant Terms sign, owner, municipality, street right-of-way, notice, retrieve/retrieval, dispose, trash, recycle, sign removal, Minnesota Statutes, chapter 471, local government
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 09, 2026 | Senate | Action | Introduction and first reading | ||
| March 09, 2026 | Senate | Action | Referred to | State and Local Government |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Adds notice and disposal provisions for removal of signage by municipalities (new Section 471.9999) and uses the defined term 'Municipality' based on §462.352, subd. 2."
],
"removed": [
""
],
"summary": "This bill references the meaning of 'Municipality' as provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 462.352, subdivision 2, to define scope for its sign removal provisions.",
"modified": [
"No direct modifications to existing statutes are shown; the bill creates a new statutory section (471.9999) governing signage removal by municipalities."
]
},
"citation": "462.352",
"subdivision": "subd. 2"
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee