Escondido has no city ordinance setting installation dates, removal deadlines, or brightness limits for residential holiday lights. Lights are permitted year-round on private property. Seasonal decorations are explicitly exempt from sign permit requirements under EMC §33-1393, provided they do not advertise a product and are removed within 10 working days after the holiday. Amplified outdoor audio must comply with EMC noise standards.
Escondido does not regulate residential holiday light installation, removal dates, or brightness through municipal code. Decorative lighting is permitted year-round on private property at single-family and multi-family residences. Article 66 of the Escondido Zoning Code — specifically EMC §33-1393 (Exempt and Prohibited Signs) — expressly exempts seasonal decorations displayed during a holiday or announcing a community event from sign-permit requirements, provided the decorations do not advertise a specific product or service and are removed within 10 working days after the holiday or community event. The Escondido noise ordinance applies to amplified music or audio in holiday displays; sustained or plainly audible amplified music after 10 p.m. can trigger a citation. Escondido does not have a city-wide dark-sky ordinance, but neighbors can pursue private-nuisance claims under California Civil Code §3479 when light is directed into bedroom windows. California Civil Code §4710 (the holiday-display protection statute) prohibits HOAs from banning religious displays smaller than 3 inches square affixed to entry doors; broader holiday displays remain subject to HOA covenants. Properties in the Old Escondido Historic District may face additional Historic Preservation Commission review for permanent attachments to historic structures.
Sign code violations (decorations that advertise a product or remain past 10 working days after the holiday) are subject to citation under Article 66. Noise ordinance violations carry administrative fines. Light-trespass nuisance complaints are pursued under the Escondido Municipal Code. HOA covenant violations are civil matters enforceable by the association.
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