Jersey City, NJ Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

Jersey City's Chapter 345 (Zoning) sign regulations exempt seasonal and holiday decorations from sign-permit requirements. There is no city-imposed installation date, removal deadline, brightness cap, or shut-off hour for residential holiday lights. Practical limits include: (1) Condominium master-deed and co-op proprietary-lease restrictions on facade decoration - very common in Downtown high-rise buildings (Newport, Powerhouse Arts District, Exchange Place, The Beacon) where unit-owner authority over facade elements is typically limited to interior-facing items only; (2) HOA covenants in townhome and condo subdivisions in Greenville, Bergen-Lafayette, and Heights; (3) Jersey City Noise Ordinance (Code Ch. 222) - amplified music synchronized to lights must comply with residential daytime (typically 65 dBA, 7 AM-10 PM) and nighttime (typically 50 dBA, 10 PM-7 AM) limits at the receiving property line; (4) Historic Preservation Commission jurisdiction over locally designated historic districts (Van Vorst Park, Hamilton Park, Harsimus Cove, Paulus Hook, Bergen Hill) for permanent facade-mounted fixtures - temporary seasonal lights are typically not regulated; (5) general nuisance principles under Ch. 232 if lights are sustained, exceptionally bright, and demonstrably interfere with a neighbor's reasonable use (rare to be cited); (6) PSE&G electrical safety standards for any outdoor electrical extension. Encroachment of decorations into the public right-of-way (sidewalks, tree pits) requires permission from the Department of Public Works.