Newark, NJ Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

Newark regulates outdoor signs and lighted displays under Chapter 41:9 (Signs) of Title XLI (Zoning and Land Use Regulations). The default rule in §41:9 is that no sign may be erected without a permit from the Zoning Officer (and, where structural, a UCC building permit from the Construction Official). However, the exempt-signs list in §41:9-2/§41:9-3 carves out 'seasonally appropriate holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message' - meaning a homeowner does not need a permit to install Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, Eid, Halloween, or other holiday lighting. The exemption is conditioned on two requirements: (1) the display must not carry a commercial message (a string of lights spelling out a business name or product would lose the exemption and require a sign permit), and (2) the display may not remain in place for more than three months at any one time. There is no decibel, lumen, or color restriction specific to holiday lighting in Chapter 41:9, but lights must not create a traffic-safety hazard by obstructing motorist or pedestrian views into the roadway. Lights affixed to utility poles or street trees are prohibited under the general sign-on-pole prohibition. For households in historic districts (Forest Hill, James Street Commons, Lincoln Park, etc.), the Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission generally does not require approval for temporary seasonal lighting, but permanent fixtures used to hang lights may.