Salt Lake City, UT Holiday Decorations: Inflatable Display Rules (2026)

Salt Lake City's sign code (SLC Code Chapter 21A.46) treats balloons and other inflated advertising objects as 'balloon signs' — defined as temporary signs comprising an inflated nonporous object filled with air or other gas affixed to a building or lot to attract attention. Balloon signs are prohibited in all zoning districts when used for commercial advertising. However, the sign code's commercial-message focus means traditional residential seasonal inflatables (Christmas inflatables, Halloween yard figures, Easter bunnies, generic decorative pumpkins) are generally not regulated as signs because they convey no commercial message. They are instead governed by general zoning and accessory-use rules in SLC Code Chapter 21A.40: large inflatables that occupy a substantial portion of a front yard must respect any landscaping requirements (the front-yard vegetation rule in Chapter 21A.48 requires at least one-third of the required front yard to be vegetation, but seasonal placement on lawn does not violate this), and tall inflatables that obstruct sight lines at intersections can be cited under SLC Code 12.24 (traffic safety). HOAs and rental landlords often impose stricter rules. Inflatables must be anchored to avoid windblown displacement; an unattended inflatable that detaches and lands in the public right-of-way or on a neighbor's property can be a nuisance under SLC Code 9.04.