Fort Worth, TX Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

Fort Worth Municipal Code does not regulate the timing, intensity, or duration of holiday lights on private homes. Fort Worth's sign code (Zoning Ord. Article 4) exempts temporary holiday and seasonal displays. Fort Worth has no outdoor lighting ordinance for residential properties (lighting standards apply mainly to commercial and multifamily). Most Fort Worth homes outside the city center are governed by HOAs whose CC&Rs adopted under Texas Property Code Chapter 209 (the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act) typically regulate holiday displays. Typical Fort Worth HOA rules allow holiday lights from the Friday after Thanksgiving through January 15, prohibit lights left up year-round, limit roof-mounted spotlights, and may restrict synchronized music or laser displays. Texas Property Code 202.018 protects religious displays on doors and door frames from HOA restriction. Texas Property Code 202.011 protects flagpoles up to 20 feet and certain flags (US, Texas, military). Lights that shine continuously into a neighbor's windows can be cited as a private nuisance under Texas common law and Fort Worth City Code Chapter 6 (Nuisance). Lights or wiring that creates a fire or electrical hazard violates the National Electrical Code adopted by Fort Worth.