Criticizing the Olympic Games could come with a hefty price tag and even six months' jail time.

A new B.C. law is on the table that would allow police to enter homes and private properties with only 24 hours' notice to remove anti-Olympic material, and could land offenders with a maximum fine of $10,000 a day and up to six months in jail, according to the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.

The BCCLA condemned the proposed legislation on Friday, two days after it was first introduced. 

The proposal seeks an amendment to the Municipalities Enabling and Validating act that would apply to Richmond, Whistler and Vancouver for February and March of 2010.

The provincial law has not yet passed. It is in its first reading.

"It used to be that a person's home was his castle, but now the local governments want to storm the citadel of every castle to take down signs they regard as offensive to their Olympic plans," Robert Holmes, President of the BCCLA, said in a statement.

"Telling people who exercise free speech that local authorities may barge in, rip down signs inside your property, fine you or throw you in jail will underscore the growing impression that our governments care more about their own camera appearances at Olympic events than about people's rights."

The amendment would change the current fine and charge for sign and bylaw violations that sees violators receive 14 days to comply and a maximum fine of $2,000 per day.

"Six months in jail is usually reserved for criminals who have a record of several convictions for breaking and entering, but now it's government that wants to break in," Holmes said.

The B.C. government issued a statement on Wednesday, stating the amendments will give Vancouver, Richmond and Whistler the "temporary enforcement powers to enable them to swiftly remove illegal signs and graffiti during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

"The legislation does not change the existing scope of authority to regulate signs and graffiti," the statement read. "Rather, it provides, on a temporary basis, a faster way of removing signs and graffiti that violate municipal bylaws during the short period the Games are underway."

If the law does pass, municipalities would need to enact their own bylaws to act on the new powers.