Temporary Banners and Other Nonrigid Signs.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 244-18
in effect244-18. Temporary Banners and Other Nonrigid Signs.
1. SIGNS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY PROHIBITED. It shall be unlawful for any person, except a public officer or a government employee in the performance of a public duty, to maintain, place, erect, paint, paste, print, nail, tack, or otherwise fasten any card, banner, picture, handbill, sign, poster, advertising, or notice of any kind, or cause the same to be done, on any curb, streetwalk, or public thoroughfare surface, fence, board, barrel, box, case, railing, pole, post, tree, barricade, material, bridge, bridge fender, dock, pile, building or structure of any kind on public ground, or public waterway, within the city, except as may be permitted by this chapter or any provision of the Milwaukee code, the Milwaukee charter, Wis. Stats., or federal laws.
2. SNIPE ADVERTISING PROHIBITED. It shall be unlawful to place, erect, paint, paste, print, nail, tack, or otherwise fasten or maintain any snipe advertising or deface any exterior wall or surface of any building, board, barrel, box, case, railing, pole, post, tree, barricade, material, dock, pile, or structure of any kind with advertising or notice of any kind.
3. BANNERS, PAPER, DEBRIS PROHIBITED. Except as permitted by this chapter or by the permanent banner sign or temporary banner sign regulations of s. 295-407, it shall be unlawful to place, erect, tack, or otherwise fasten, use, or maintain any outdoor advertising such as banners, decorative displays or other advertising devices of cloth, paper or other nonrigid materials. All permitted permanent and temporary banner signs shall be anchored or supported in a manner approved by the commissioner.
4. EXCEPTION.
a. The provisions of subs. 1 to 3 shall not apply to Milwaukee county transit system transit shelters with advertising that are authorized by common council resolution.
b. City buildings, facilities or other assets identified by the Milwaukee civic partnership initiative, established under s. 310-21, shall be exempt from this section, if authorized by common council resolution.
5. RESPONSIBILITY. a. Any person, partnership, corporation or officer of any group or association who authorizes or pays for any form of advertising or who directly benefits financially therefrom and any candidate, person, or officer of any group or association who authorizes or pays for political advertising or who directly benefits financially therefrom shall assume responsibility for the distribution and posting or display of such advertising, and if it is posted or displayed in violation of this section with or without their knowledge, they are required immediately upon notice from the commissioner, or an authorized agent, or the chief of police, or an authorized agent, to cause the removal of such advertising at their expense, and they shall be liable pursuant to this section.
b. Any person, partnership or corporation who owns property on which such illegally posted or displayed advertising of any form appears, or any manager or operator of such property on which such illegally posted or displayed advertising of any form appears shall assume responsibility for the posting or display of such advertising and, if it is posted or displayed in violation of this section with or without their knowledge, they are required immediately upon notice from the commissioner, or an authorized agent, or the chief of police, or an authorized agent, to cause the removal of such advertising at their expense, and they shall be liable pursuant to this section.
6. COPIES OF CODE PROVISIONS. The election commission shall furnish copies of this section to candidates for public office.
7. PENALTY. Any person, partnership, corporation or officer of any group or association who authorizes or pays for any form of advertising or who directly benefits financially therefrom and any candidate, person or officer of any group or association who authorizes or pays for political advertising or who directly benefits financially therefrom and any person, partnership or corporation who owns property on which such illegally posted or displayed advertising of any form appears, and any manager or operator of such property on which such illegally posted advertising of any form appears, who violates this section, and fails to perform the duties imposed upon them by this section, shall upon conviction be punished by a fine of not less than $25 and not more than $500, together with the costs and disbursements of prosecution, and in default of payment thereof shall be imprisoned in the county jail or house of correction of Milwaukee county until such fine, cost, and disbursement are paid, such imprisonment not to exceed 30 days; and every such person shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for every day such violation, disobedience, omission, neglect, or refusal shall continue; provided, however, that said accumulated penalties recoverable in any one action shall not exceed the sum of $2,000.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-2/CH244.pdf#page=7Fetched: 10/26/2026