St. Cloud Council Hits Pause on Yard Sign Rule Change Amid Free Speech Concerns

(KNSI) – An attempt to clean up some statutory language around yard signs caused so much confusion that the St. Cloud City Council denied the change and will, instead, take up the issue at a future study session.

Many council members said they received multiple emails from people accusing them of trying to limit free speech. Mayor Jake Anderson told KNSI that they attempted to clarify people’s free speech. “Right now, per the way our ordinances are written, folks really aren’t allowed to have any signs that are non-commercial.”

As the city code is written today, the only signs allowed on residential lots can announce the owners, such as “The Johnson’s House,” in letters on the home or signs that serve a commercial purpose. For example, a car for sale, a home for rent, a garage sale, real estate signs or signs from contractors who have worked on the property. Others, announcing the home of a 2025 graduate or 742 Pride, are illegal under city rules.

Anderson explained the city has restrictions on signs so they don’t clutter up the landscape and become a distraction to drivers. “There’s some safety concerns. Some visibility concerns in terms of how your neighborhood looks if somebody puts a lot of signs up.”

The only yard signs allowed today on residential lots are political during the campaign season, defined as 46 days before a primary election and 10 days after a general election.

If the council had approved the change, any resident could have posted any five-square-foot sign with a non-commercial message in their yard. There would have been no restriction on the type of message.

The city will go back to the drawing board during a study session. The council has one scheduled for June 16th, but it’s unclear if it will be discussed at that meeting or later on down the road.

Staff says the city investigates violations on a complaint-driven basis. Violators will be notified by mail and given a chance to comply. If they fail, the city could ultimately remove the sign and possibly asses a fine or a fee for the cost of removing them.

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