Stockton expressly exempts holiday decorations from sign permit requirements under SMC Chapter 16.76 (Sign Standards). The only formal requirement is that holiday decoration signs must be removed within three days of the end of the holiday. There is no city brightness limit, color restriction, or animation restriction on residential holiday lights. Displays that obstruct sidewalks or the public right-of-way are subject to SMC Title 12 (Public Property), and severely dilapidated signs become a public nuisance.
SMC Chapter 16.76 (Sign Standards) provides that holiday decorations and holiday decoration signs do not require a sign permit and are not subject to the chapter's sign requirements, but specifies that such signs must be removed within three days of the end of the holiday. No city ordinance regulates the brightness, color, hours of operation, or animation of residential holiday lighting. The city's general nuisance authority (SMC Title 8 and §16.32) reaches only displays so dilapidated or unmaintained that they create a public nuisance. Glare creating a hazard to drivers is preempted by statewide Cal. Veh. Code §21466.5. Holiday lights strung across a public sidewalk, street, or city tree require an encroachment permit from the Stockton Public Works Department under SMC Title 12. Commercial holiday displays that include letters, logos, or commercial messages remain regulated as signs under SMC Ch. 16.76 — pure decorative lighting at a commercial property is exempt.
Failure to remove holiday decoration signs within three days after the holiday is a violation of SMC Ch. 16.76 enforceable by Code Enforcement. Dilapidated signs are deemed a public nuisance and subject to abatement. Right-of-way obstructions are abated under SMC Title 12.
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