Advertising fliers dropped in your yard or stuck on your front door can be a headache, a source of litter, and a tip-off to criminals when you're out of town. The Tempe City Code prohibits the distribution of handbills on your property if you have a sign saying you don't want them.

The sign below gives distributors of handbills and unsolicited newspapers legal notice that no fliers are to be placed on the premises. If you place this sign "in a conspicuous position near the entrance" to your house and notify the City of any violations that occur after your sign is posted, the City can warn and cite violators on your behalf. Violations are punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 or up to six months in jail, or both.

Feel free to print this sign - or make your own similarly worded sign - and post it in a conspicuous place, preferably near your front door. You might want to have it laminated to make it weather resistant. If you have any questions, or to file a complaint, contact Tempe 311 at 480-350-4311.

To print the sign in English click here

To print this sign in Spanish click here

Tempe City Code Chapter 3 - Advertising and Signs (Excerpt)
Sec. 3-21 Distributing, etc., on posted premises

No person shall distribute, deposit, place, throw, scatter, or cast any commercial or noncommercial handbill upon any premises if requested by anyone thereon not to do so, or of there is placed on such premises, in a conspicuous position near the entrance thereof, a sign bearing the words "No Trespassing," "No Peddlers or Agents," "No Advertisement," "No Unsolicited Newspapers" or any similar notice indicating in any manner that the occupants of such premises do not desire to be molested or to have their right of privacy disturbed, or to have any such handbills left upon such premises.

Sec. 3-22 Manner of distribution on private premises

No person shall distribute, deposit, place, throw, scatter, or cast any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or upon any private premises which are inhabited, except by handing or transmitting any such handbill directly to the owner, occupant or any other person then present in or upon such private premises; provided that in the case of inhabited private premises which are not posted as provided in this chapter, such licensed or other person, unless requested by anyone upon such premises not to do so, may place or deposit any such handbill in or upon such inhabited private premises, if such handbill is so placed or deposited as to secure or prevent such handbill from being blown or drifted about such premises or elsewhere, except that mailboxes may not be so used when prohibited by postal laws or regulations.

To Tempe City Code