Winter Holiday Lighting & Display Rules by City (2026)
What You Can and Can't Put Up
Find the rules for your area:
Compare holiday decoration rules across cities. Find size limits, timing restrictions, and whether inflatable displays are allowed in your area.
The table below breaks down the rules across 43 states and 251 cities and counties. Every entry is based on the actual municipal code for that location, not a guess or a generic template. Click any location to see the full ordinance details, including fines, exceptions, and local FAQs.
Rules by State
Each state is colored by how its local rules lean overall. Click a state to see the cities and counties we cover there.
| State | Locations | strict | restrictive | moderate | limited | permissive | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 77 | 1 | - | 24 | 35 | 17 | Light Restrictions |
| Texas | 59 | - | - | 6 | 8 | 45 | Few Restrictions |
| Florida | 30 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 12 | Light Restrictions |
| Georgia | 19 | - | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | Light Restrictions |
| Colorado | 17 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 3 | Light Restrictions |
| Michigan | 15 | - | - | 6 | 3 | 6 | Light Restrictions |
| Arizona | 13 | - | - | 2 | 7 | 4 | Light Restrictions |
| Illinois | 13 | - | - | 2 | 8 | 3 | Light Restrictions |
| New York | 12 | - | - | 3 | 5 | 4 | Light Restrictions |
| Tennessee | 12 | - | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | Light Restrictions |
| North Carolina | 11 | - | - | - | 3 | 8 | Few Restrictions |
| Washington | 11 | - | - | 1 | 3 | 7 | Few Restrictions |
| Virginia | 10 | - | - | 1 | 4 | 5 | Light Restrictions |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | - | - | 3 | 5 | 1 | Light Restrictions |
| New Jersey | 8 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | Light Restrictions |
| Missouri | 7 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 5 | Few Restrictions |
| Ohio | 7 | - | - | - | 2 | 5 | Few Restrictions |
| Utah | 7 | - | - | 3 | 1 | 3 | Light Restrictions |
| Wisconsin | 7 | - | - | 1 | 2 | 4 | Light Restrictions |
| Maryland | 6 | - | - | - | 3 | 3 | Light Restrictions |
| Massachusetts | 6 | - | - | 2 | 2 | 2 | Light Restrictions |
| Oregon | 6 | - | 1 | - | 2 | 3 | Light Restrictions |
| Indiana | 5 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 3 | Light Restrictions |
| New Mexico | 5 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 3 | Light Restrictions |
| Alabama | 4 | - | - | - | 1 | 3 | Few Restrictions |
| Idaho | 4 | - | - | 1 | - | 3 | Few Restrictions |
| Oklahoma | 4 | - | - | - | 2 | 2 | Light Restrictions |
| Connecticut | 3 | - | - | 1 | 2 | - | Light Restrictions |
| Kansas | 3 | - | - | 1 | - | 2 | Few Restrictions |
| Nebraska | 3 | - | - | - | - | 3 | Few Restrictions |
| Nevada | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | Some Restrictions |
| South Carolina | 3 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | Light Restrictions |
| Alaska | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | Light Restrictions |
| Delaware | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | Heavy Restrictions |
| Iowa | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | Light Restrictions |
| Kentucky | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | Few Restrictions |
| Louisiana | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | Few Restrictions |
| Minnesota | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | Light Restrictions |
| Arkansas | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | Few Restrictions |
| Mississippi | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - | Light Restrictions |
| North Dakota | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | Few Restrictions |
| Rhode Island | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | Few Restrictions |
| Wyoming | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | Few Restrictions |
How Cities Compare
These rankings are based on verified municipal code data, not opinion. A "strict" rating means the city has heavy restrictions, high fines, or outright bans. "Permissive" means few or no local restrictions beyond state law.
Most Restrictive
- 1Reno, NV
Reno's sign code defines any device that grabs public attention as a "sign," and Section 18.05.109 flatly bans inflatable signs citywide, sweeping in blow-up Santas, snowmen, and other holiday inflatables on private lawns.
- 2Longmont, COnone (unlike pennants/windsocks)
Longmont's sign code flatly prohibits inflatable signs -- balloons, inflatable figures, and similar fluttering or revolving devices -- with no seasonal or temporary-permit exception, unlike pennants and windsocks.
- 3New Castle County, DE
New Castle County's Unified Development Code bans balloons and other air- or gas-filled figures outright as signs in every zoning district of the unincorporated county, with no seasonal or noncommercial exception.
- 4North Port, FL
North Port's sign code defines any air-inflated, blower-powered display as an inflatable sign and bans balloon and inflatable signs citywide, with no exception in the ordinance text for seasonal or holiday displays.
Fewest Restrictions
- 1McKinney, TXNot required
McKinney does not regulate seasonal holiday displays on residential property. Lights, inflatables, and decorations are permitted without permits provided they do not obstruct sight lines or create safety hazards.
- 2Lewisville, TXNo specific city-imposed dates
Lewisville does not heavily regulate residential holiday displays. No permit is needed. Decorations must not obstruct sidewalks or create traffic hazards.
- 3Clovis, CANone set in the exemption itself
Clovis exempts holiday decorations and displays, Christmas lights, Fourth of July bunting, or Thanksgiving displays, from the sign permit process entirely under Municipal Code Section 9.34.060(Q). No permit, size limit, or removal deadline applies to a genuine seasonal display, though the exemption does not cover a business ad dressed up to look like a holiday decoration, which the code treats as a prohibited disguised advertising sign.
- 4Williamson County, TXSet by HOA
Williamson County has no ordinance regulating holiday lights, inflatables, or yard displays in unincorporated areas: those fall to HOA deed restrictions. Property Code §202.018 blocks an HOA from banning religious-motivated displays on an owner's property or dwelling.
- 5La Porte, TXNo specific size or quantity limits for residential holiday displays
La Porte does not heavily regulate holiday decorations on residential property. Displays should not create safety hazards, obstruct sidewalks or streets, or violate electrical codes. Seasonal decorations are generally expected to be removed within a reasonable time after the holiday.
- 6Multnomah County, OR
In the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area's General Management Area, Multnomah County exempts seasonal holiday light displays from its ban on luminous and internally illuminated signs, but only within the Gorge overlay boundary, not countywide.
- 7Anchorage, AK
Anchorage's sign code exempts holiday decorations from permitting as long as they skip any commercial message.
- 8Loudoun County, VA
Loudoun County exempts temporary seasonal and holiday lighting outright from its outdoor Light and Glare standards, so string lights and illuminated yard displays don't have to meet the dark-sky, glare, and light-trespass rules Section 7.05.02 imposes on permanent exterior lighting.
- 9Henderson, NVNot required for holiday decorations
Henderson exempts holiday decorations from sign construction permits and temporary decorative lighting from electrical permits, so residents and businesses can put up seasonal string lights and displays without pulling a city permit first.
- 10Conroe, TX
Conroe does not impose specific restrictions on residential holiday displays beyond general sign ordinance provisions in Chapter 90. Holiday decorations on private residential property are generally permitted without a sign permit.
All 251 Locations
Every city and county below has verified ordinance data for this topic. Click any location for the full breakdown including fines, exceptions, and local FAQs.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions come from the most common things people ask about this topic across different cities.