Sunnyvale, CA Holiday Decorations: Holiday Light Rules (2026)

The Sunnyvale Municipal Code does not regulate the timing, intensity, or duration of holiday lights on private homes. SMC Title 19 (Zoning) sign regulations exempt temporary holiday and seasonal displays. Sunnyvale does not have a residential outdoor lighting ordinance limiting decorative lights - the city's outdoor lighting rules in Title 19 focus on commercial and parking-lot lighting and light trespass between non-residential and residential uses. For Sunnyvale's many condominium and townhome communities governed by HOAs, the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act (Cal. Civ. Code 4000-6150) applies and the HOA's CC&Rs typically regulate holiday displays. Typical Sunnyvale HOA rules allow holiday lights from Thanksgiving through January 15, prohibit lights left up year-round, limit roof-mounted spotlights, and may restrict synchronized music or laser displays. California Civil Code 4710 protects 'noncommercial signs, posters, flags, or banners' but does not extend to electric holiday lights, so HOAs may regulate lights under their architectural authority. Civil Code 4715 separately protects religious items displayed on entry doors and door frames. Lights that shine continuously into a neighbor's bedroom window can be cited as a public nuisance under SMC, or pursued as a private nuisance under California Civil Code 3479. Lights or wiring that don't meet the California Electrical Code (adopted in SMC Title 16) can be cited as a fire hazard by the Sunnyvale Fire Marshal.