This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Sure signs that many political candidates are breaking the law can been seen along Utah freeways and highways.

They are the campaign signs plastered on some overpasses, pedestrian bridges and state-owned roadside boundary fences.

"They are breaking the law," says John Gleason, spokesman for the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). "It is illegal to post signs of any kind that haven't been approved on our right of way."

And, by the way, he says UDOT never approves posting such campaign signs, even though a few candidates occasionally seek permission.

A big crop of signs sprouts up in these banned locations every election anyway. "You see all sorts of different candidates and all different parties posting signs" statewide, Gleason said.

Examples are easily seen along Interstate 215.

The chain-link fences above several overpasses are crammed with signs for legislative and County Council races, from Republicans and Democrats, including Attorney General Sean Reyes, the state's chief law enforcement officer. They surround and frame some large green highway information signs.

Many of the same campaigns use a chain-link highway border fence along the freeway frontage road at Valley Fair Mall, posting signs there so exiting shoppers may see them. And some have posted signs in the fence atop a pedestrian bridge spanning 4700 South at 3200 West.

Utah Code 72-7-503 outlaws placing advertising in public areas along state highways without permission from UDOT or along county roads without permission from the county. Violation is a Class B misdemeanor.

Utah Code 72-5-708 allows fines between $500 and $1,500 a day depending on how long roadway advertising remains after notice is given ordering removal. Utah Administrative Code R933-2 (and state law) allows UDOT to remove offending signs and charge owners the cost of doing so.

The administrative code requires the state to store removed signs for 60 days — and charge a storage fee — to allow owners to retrieve them. If not claimed after that, the signs may be destroyed or discarded.

But no candidates have gone to jail, or apparently been fined, for posting signs illegally on highways ­— although they could face some voter backlash for the clutter. Gleason said UDOT generally has more pressing things to do than send out crews to take down the signs.

He adds it could be a losing battle. "If you take a sign down this time of year, several more will pop up in its place. So sometimes we let it go throughout the campaign season," and pick up all of them afterward.

But "if it's a safety concern, say there is a sign hanging over the freeway that looks like it may fall into traffic," Gleason said, "that is something we would address immediately."

If UDOT takes down such a potentially dangerous sign during the campaign season, he added, "we would take down all the signs in that area just out of fairness."

He noted that waiting until after elections to remove signs generally saves UDOT some work.

"When the election is over, many campaigns will take down their own signs. Then we'll go out and clean up whatever is left over as part of our routine maintenance work."

Besides campaign signs, Gleason said others that are often seen in violation range from signs for yard sales to "welcome home" signs for Mormon missionaries.

Gleason said UDOT rarely has to remove the missionary signs — which often are made by sticking red plastic cups into chain-link fences above overpasses to spell out a message.

"I once asked a regional director once how we handle those," Gleason said. "He said, 'We don't have to do anything. People will come and take out the cups.' They apparently wash them and use them. It's kind of funny."

While plenty of campaign signs are already on many overpasses — and despite being illegal — Gleason said, "we can expect to see this continue and maybe even grow over the next several weeks as we get closer to November" elections.