Rochester, NY Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

The Rochester Zoning Code, Chapter 120, regulates signs and exterior lighting through Article XIX (City-Wide Design Guidelines and Standards) but does not impose specific dates by which residential holiday lights and decorations must be installed or removed. Temporary, non-commercial holiday and seasonal decorations are not treated as regulated signs under the Chapter 120 sign provisions. Permanent landscape lighting and any wiring installed to support holiday displays must comply with the New York State Uniform Code, including the National Electrical Code as adopted at 19 NYCRR Part 1228 - exterior cords must be rated for outdoor use, GFCI-protected circuits are required, and extension cords through windows and doors are limited to temporary use. Where holiday lighting creates a glare or trespass-of-light condition that materially interferes with a neighbor's use and enjoyment of their property, the issue can be addressed as a private nuisance and, in extreme cases, under city nuisance provisions. Code Enforcement does not actively cite homeowners for keeping winter lights up into spring; complaints generally focus on derelict or commercial installations.