Arlington, TX Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

Arlington does not regulate residential holiday lighting installation, removal dates, or brightness through municipal code. Decorative lighting is permitted year-round on private property. The Arlington noise ordinance, Arlington City Code Chapter 8 (Health and Sanitation), Section 8-3, applies to amplified audio in holiday displays. Arlington uses a 'loud and disturbing' reasonable-person standard rather than numeric decibel limits, with quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. when noise audible at the property line is presumptively a violation. Arlington does not have a citywide dark-sky ordinance, but neighbors can pursue private nuisance claims for light directed into bedroom windows. Texas Property Code § 202.018 limits HOA restrictions on religious displays affixed to entry doors (under 25 square inches in any combined area). Properties in HOAs throughout Viridian (master-planned community), the Highlands, Pantego-adjacent neighborhoods, and Downtown Arlington condos face covenant authority over holiday displays, generally enforceable subject to Texas Property Code Chapter 202 reasonableness standards. The famous Interlochen Holiday Lights neighborhood display in north Arlington is HOA-coordinated and draws thousands of visitors annually. Commercial displays at Globe Life Field, AT&T Stadium, and the Entertainment District may require sign permits if they include advertising.