El Cajon, CA Holiday Decorations: Lawn Ornament Rules (2026)

The City of El Cajon does not have a municipal-code provision restricting residential lawn ornaments, statuary, religious displays, or yard decorations on private property. Items may remain year-round. Decorations cannot block public sidewalks or encroach into the right-of-way under ECMC Title 12, and cannot obstruct corner-visibility triangles under the sight-distance rules of ECMC Title 17 at street intersections. The property-maintenance and nuisance provisions of ECMC Title 1 Chapter 1.36 may be cited if decorations become so dilapidated, broken, or numerous as to create a blighted condition or public nuisance — a high bar that does not apply to ordinary seasonal displays. California Civil Code §4710 prohibits HOAs from banning religious items affixed to entry doors smaller than 3 inches square (mezuzahs, small crosses), but broader yard displays are subject to HOA covenant authority under California Civil Code §5975. Political signs on residential property receive First Amendment protection; El Cajon's sign code in ECMC Title 17 allows non-commercial signs in residential zones subject only to content-neutral size limits. Newer subdivisions and townhome HOAs in El Cajon commonly impose architectural review on visible yard ornaments and statuary.