Kitsap County, WA Holiday Decorations: Lawn Ornament Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- KCC § 17.510.050(C)
- Permit required
- None, if purely decorative
- Loses exemption if
- It functions as advertising
- Jurisdiction reach
- Unincorporated Kitsap County only
- Violation penalty
- Class I civil infraction, per day
Summary
Unincorporated Kitsap County exempts seasonal and holiday decorations from sign-permit review entirely, so long as the display doesn't function as advertising. Under Section 17.510.050(C), lights, inflatables, and lawn displays need no permit, size approval, or setback review, unlike commercial signage regulated elsewhere in the sign code.
A sign or modification to an existing sign shall be exempt from review under this sign code and may be constructed without a permit:
A. Historic site markers or plaques, gravestones, and address numbers.
...
C. Seasonal or holiday decorations that do not function as signage.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4864424; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
050 lists categories exempt from that review entirely. Subsection C covers "seasonal or holiday decorations that do not function as signage," placing it alongside other outright exemptions such as historic markers, address numbers, and religious symbols. Because the exemption turns on function rather than materials, a wreath, string of lights, inflatable snowman, or holiday lawn figure is exempt no matter its size or location on private property, as long as it doesn't carry a commercial or promotional message. 040. This chapter reaches only the unincorporated area of Kitsap County.
The cities of Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, and Bainbridge Island each administer their own municipal codes and are not covered by this exemption; Naval Base Kitsap and the Suquamish and Port Gamble S'Klallam reservations likewise fall outside county sign jurisdiction.
Violations & Fines
A display that crosses into advertising loses its exemption and is treated as an unpermitted sign. Sign code violations are a Class I civil infraction under Section 17.610.020, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate infraction, processed under the county's civil enforcement ordinance, Chapter 2.116. The director may first issue a correction order or notice of infraction under Section 17.610.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for holiday lights or lawn decorations in unincorporated Kitsap County?
What turns a holiday display into a regulated sign?
Does this exemption apply inside Bremerton, Poulsbo, Port Orchard, or Bainbridge Island?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kitsap County
Compare Kitsap County to another location·View the Washington holiday decorations overview
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