Montgomery, AL Holiday Decorations: Lawn Ornament Rules (2026)

Montgomery does not have a city ordinance restricting residential lawn ornaments, statuary, religious displays, or yard decorations on private property. Items may remain year-round. Decorations cannot block sidewalks or encroach into the public right-of-way, and cannot obstruct corner-visibility triangles under the Zoning Ordinance sight-distance rules in Appendix C. The nuisance and property-maintenance provisions of the Code of Ordinances may be cited if decorations become so dilapidated, broken, or numerous as to create a blighted condition affecting public health, safety, or property values. Alabama has no statewide preemption protecting religious yard displays comparable to California Civil Code §4710 — HOA covenant authority over visible yard items is generally enforceable under Alabama law. Political signs on residential property receive First Amendment protection; Montgomery permits non-commercial signs in residential zones under the Zoning Ordinance subject to content-neutral size and duration limits. Properties in the Old Cloverdale, Garden District, Cottage Hill, Capitol Heights, Centennial Hill, Cloverdale-Idlewild, and Old North Hull Street historic districts face additional Architectural Review Board review for permanent fixtures and visible alterations to street-facing yards. Master-planned community HOAs in Wynlakes, Sturbridge, Arrowhead, and Halcyon Summit frequently impose strict architectural review for visible yard ornaments.