Kent, WA Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

Kent City Code does not include a residential holiday lighting ordinance. Seasonal decorations on private property are not regulated as signs under KCC Title 15 (Zoning), so there is no permit, no removal deadline, no hours-of-illumination cap, and no brightness limit specifically for holiday lights at single-family or multi-family residences in Kent. Practical limits come from generally applicable rules: glare and light spillover that causes a nuisance to neighbors or motorists may be addressed under the city's general nuisance provisions in KCC Title 8; lights cannot block sight-distance triangles at driveways or street corners under the Public Works Engineering Standards; and any lighting attached to city-owned trees, street-light poles, or installed in the public right-of-way (sidewalk strips, planter strips, alleys) requires a Right-of-Way Use Permit from Kent Public Works under KCC Title 6. Electrical installations must follow the National Electrical Code as adopted by Washington L&I (WAC 296-46B). All exterior cords, plugs, and fixtures must be rated for outdoor wet locations, which is particularly important during the Pacific Northwest's wet winter. HOA covenants commonly impose private install-and-remove date windows that are enforced civilly in King County Superior Court rather than by the city.