Naperville, IL Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

Naperville has not adopted a seasonal holiday-decoration ordinance prescribing when residents may install or must remove holiday lights. The Naperville Zoning Ordinance (Title 6 Chapter 16, Signs) regulates commercial and political signs but treats residential decorative lighting as accessory to the principal dwelling rather than as signage, provided the lights do not advertise a commercial product or service. Practical constraints arise in three places. First, glare onto neighboring property or into the public right-of-way may violate Title 6 lighting performance standards if it creates a traffic safety hazard or substantially interferes with a neighbor's use and enjoyment of property; the operative test is reasonableness, not a fixed lumens limit. Second, persistent year-round displays may be addressed under Naperville's general nuisance and property-maintenance provisions, including Title 5 property maintenance and the city's smoke/light/noise nuisance rules. Third, electrical safety: outdoor lighting must use UL-listed outdoor-rated cords and fixtures, with GFCI protection on outdoor circuits under the National Electrical Code as adopted by Naperville (Title 5 Chapter 1). Overloaded circuits and stapled cords through siding create fire risk and may trigger property-maintenance enforcement or Naperville Fire Department Community Risk Reduction follow-up. Renters should consult lease provisions and HOA CC&Rs. Private CC&Rs in many Naperville subdivisions (Ashbury, White Eagle, Tall Grass, Stillwater, and other planned communities) impose start (typically Thanksgiving) and removal (typically mid-January to February) date restrictions enforceable under the Illinois Common Interest Community Association Act (765 ILCS 160/).