Aurora, CO Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

Aurora does not impose a city-wide take-down date or brightness cap on residential holiday lighting. The Exterior Lighting section UDO 146-4.9 targets commercial, multifamily, and parking-area lighting with footcandle limits and the 0.1 footcandle light spillover standard at property lines, but the residential decorative provisions are limited - patio string lighting on facades facing residential uses must be off between 11 pm and 6 am when within 300 feet of a residence, a rule aimed at restaurants and commercial patios, not house decorations. For private residential displays, the practical limits are: (1) the noise ordinance in Aurora City Code 94-107, which prohibits unreasonably loud or unusual noise that seriously inconveniences other persons in the area and is typically enforced after 10 pm for amplified music attached to a light show; (2) the general nuisance provisions in City Code 62-26, which can reach severe light trespass into a neighbor's bedroom; and (3) traffic-control concerns under Title 12 if a display draws crowds blocking streets. HOA-controlled communities in Aurora (Murphy Creek, Saddle Rock, Tallyn's Reach, Cherry Creek Vista) routinely impose take-down dates such as January 15 or 31 through their CC&Rs. The Mile-High region's Parade of Lights tradition has historically gone unregulated by the city.