Baton Rouge, LA Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

The East Baton Rouge Code of Ordinances does not regulate the duration, brightness, color, or schedule of residential seasonal holiday lighting through municipal ordinance at single-family homes. Homeowners can display holiday lights without permit or notification, subject to a few practical rules: (1) Electrical compliance — outdoor circuits must be GFCI-protected under the NEC as adopted by the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code, and light strings must be UL-listed for outdoor use; (2) Noise compliance — sound-synchronized 'spectacular' displays must respect the City-Parish noise ordinance, with nighttime quiet hours typically 10 PM to 7 AM; amplified music synchronized to lights can draw noise citations after the cutoff; (3) Property maintenance — damaged or hazardous displays can be cited under the City-Parish nuisance provisions if they create blight or safety hazards. Historic districts: Beauregard Town, Spanish Town, Roseland Terrace-Drehr Place, and the Garden District are governed by the Historic Preservation Commission. Temporary seasonal decorations are typically exempt from HPC review; permanent fixtures (clip-mounted permanent track lighting, permanently installed under-eave lighting) may require Certificate of Appropriateness. The Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade and Tigerland-area LSU game-day decorations sometimes blur the line between holiday and event displays — temporary event decorations remain unregulated. HOA and condo covenants under La. Civ. Code arts. 775-783 (building restrictions) frequently restrict dates, types, and brightness in covenanted subdivisions (Country Club of Louisiana, University Club, Highland Plantation, Santa Maria). Hurricane preparedness: Baton Rouge is north of the Gulf hurricane evacuation contraflow zone but still receives tropical storm and hurricane impacts; unsecured holiday decorations should be removed during named-storm warnings.