Could an elected Plaquemine official put a campaign sign on a city-owned vehicle assigned to them?

Plain-English summary

Plaquemine's police chief asked whether a political sign could be placed on a vehicle the city had bought and assigned to an elected official. In 2000, the attorney general's office said no. It read R.S.18:1470, which barred campaign signs on publicly owned property, as covering a city-owned vehicle as well as land or buildings.

The office also noted earlier opinions that treated campaign bumper stickers as political signs in other public-official contexts. Its answer here turned on city ownership of the vehicle, regardless of its assignment to an elected official.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 2000. Subsequent statutory amendments, court decisions, or later AG opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current legal advice. Verify current law before relying on any specific rule, deadline, or remedy mentioned here.

Elected city officials at the time

Assignment of a city vehicle to an elected official did not change its public ownership. The opinion said the statutory ban on political signs applied to that vehicle.

Municipal fleet managers and police chiefs at the time

The office interpreted "publicly owned property" to include vehicles. It did not limit the statutory language to immovable property.

Political campaigns at the time

The opinion treated a displayed campaign sign on this city-owned car as prohibited. It also recalled earlier opinions in which political bumper stickers were treated as campaign signs.

Common questions

Q: Could the elected official display a campaign sign on an assigned city car?
A: No. The opinion said the car remained publicly owned property subject to R.S.18:1470.

Q: Did the public-property sign rule apply only to land?
A: No. The office expressly said the rule was not limited to immovable property.

Q: Were campaign bumper stickers considered political signs?
A: The opinion cited earlier attorney general opinions treating them as political signs in the contexts addressed there.

Background and statutory framework

The office quoted R.S.18:1470's ban on displaying political campaign signs on publicly owned property and rights of way. It applied that language to a city-purchased vehicle assigned to a public official and referred to prior opinions on bumper stickers.

Citations and references

• R.S.18:1470 (campaign signs on public property)
• Attorney General Opinions 83-510 and 79-918 (bumper stickers, as cited by the office)

Source

• Landing page: https://www.ag.state.la.us/Opinions
• Original PDF: https://www.ag.state.la.us/Opinion/Download/00-0391

Original opinion text

October 26, 2000
OPINION 00-391

36 Elections - Campaign Practices
Mr. C. J. Cazas, Chief of Police
R.S.18:1470
Plaquemine City Police Department
A political sign cannot be displayed
P.O. Box 329
on a vehicle owned by the City
Plaquemine, LA 70765-0329

Dear Chief Cazas:

This office is in receipt of your request for an opinion of the Attorney General in regard to the legality of placing political signs on a public vehicle. You indicate the vehicle was purchased by the City of Plaquemine and is assigned to an elected public official.

Relative to this inquiry, we find R.S. 18:1470 is pertinent wherein it provides as follows:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, political campaign signs shall not be erected, displayed or posted on publicly owned property or right of way, or to or on any public utility pole or stanchion.

We find this statute prohibits displaying of a political sign on a vehicle purchased by the city as "publicly owned property", and would not be restricted to immovable property.

Moreover, we note that in prior opinions this office found bumper sticks to be political signs in concluding that neither a Justice of the Peace nor a Classified Civil Service employee could drive automobiles with campaign bumper stickers since neither could engage in any political activity for candidates for elective office, Atty. Gen. Op. Nos. 83-510, 79-918.

We hope this sufficiently answers your request.

Sincerely yours,

RICHARD P. IEYOUB
Attorney General

By:________
BARBARA B. RUTLEDGE
Assistant Attorney General
OPINION 00-391

Page 2

36 Elections - Campaign Practices
R.S.18:1470

A political sign cannot be displayed
on a vehicle owned by the City

Mr. C. J. Cazas, ChIef of Police
Plaquemine City Police Department
P.O. Box 329
Plaquemine, LA 70765-0329

Date Received: October 4, 2000
Date Released: October 26, 2000

BARBARA B. RUTLEDGE
Assistant Attorney General