Detroit has no citywide ordinance restricting the time of year, brightness, or duration of residential holiday lights. Restrictions arise mainly from Local Historic District guidelines (Detroit Code Ch. 25) for permanently mounted fixtures, from private HOA covenants, and from the citywide Property Maintenance Code if displays create a blight or safety condition.
The City of Detroit does not regulate the dates or duration of seasonal holiday lighting on residential property through ordinance. Detroit's general property maintenance and blight authority (Property Maintenance Code adopted by Chapter 8 and enforced by BSEED) can be applied only if a display has become unsafe (exposed wiring, damaged decorations) or has been left in a deteriorated state for long enough to constitute blight. Detroit Code Chapter 17 (Fire Prevention) requires that holiday lighting comply with the Michigan Electrical Code: outdoor circuits must be GFCI-protected and listed for outdoor use. In a Local Historic District designated under Detroit Code Chapter 25 (e.g., Indian Village, Boston-Edison, Palmer Woods, West Village), permanently mounted lighting fixtures or any work that modifies the exterior of a contributing building requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Commission; temporary seasonal lighting that does not modify the structure does not require HDC review. Many subdivisions and condo associations in Detroit's suburbs and some city HOAs (e.g., gated communities along the Detroit River) impose private rules — those are enforceable through HOA process, not City code.
City enforcement is rare for lights themselves. Code Enforcement may issue blight tickets for displays left in disrepair or for damaged cords creating hazards. HDC may require restoration if a permanent fixture was installed without a COA in a historic district.
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See how Detroit's holiday light rules rules stack up against other locations.
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