Garland, TX Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

Garland does not regulate the duration, brightness, or schedule of residential seasonal holiday lighting through municipal ordinance. Single-family 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 National Electrical Code, and light strings must be UL-listed for outdoor use; (2) Noise compliance - sound-synchronized 'spectacular' displays must respect Garland's noise ordinance in the Code of Ordinances, which establishes residential nighttime quiet periods; (3) Property maintenance - damaged or hazardous displays can be cited under the Garland property maintenance code by Code Compliance if they create blight or safety hazards. HOA and condo covenants under the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act (Texas Property Code Ch. 209) and the Texas Uniform Condominium Act (Texas Property Code Ch. 82) commonly restrict the dates and types of permitted displays. Garland has many master-planned subdivisions (Firewheel, Camelot, Wynnewood North, Eastern Hills) with active HOAs. Texas Property Code Sec. 202.011 specifically protects display of certain religious symbols on entry doors and door frames against HOA regulation, but does not broadly protect holiday lighting.