Santa Ana, CA Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

Santa Ana has no municipal code section setting calendar dates for when holiday lights must be removed, no maximum lumen output, and no required shutoff time. Property owners may install seasonal lighting year-round. Three indirect constraints apply: (1) Amplified music synchronized to a light display must comply with SAMC Chapter 18, Article VI noise limits — 55 dBA at residential property lines from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; (2) Outdoor lighting that creates direct glare into a neighboring window or onto a public street may be addressed under SAMC Chapter 41 (Zoning) lighting standards, which generally require full-cutoff fixtures for new commercial installations but exempt residential holiday displays; (3) Lights strung across the public right-of-way or on utility poles without authorization violate SAMC Chapter 36 (Streets and Sidewalks). HOA-governed neighborhoods may impose stricter dates and standards through CC&Rs, which are enforceable independent of the City. Large public-attracting displays (such as the Floral Park holiday tour neighborhood) operate by tradition without city regulation.