Paramount, CA Holiday Decorations: Lawn Ornament Rules (2026)

Paramount Municipal Code § 17.08.080(J) governs exterior holiday decorations, excluding winter holiday lights, in the R-1 single-family zone. Paragraph 1 covers holiday and seasonal decorations, including, but not limited to, yard ornaments or decorations, and the like. The timing is counted from the holiday each decoration is meant for: nothing can be installed or placed more than 45 days before that holiday, and everything must be removed within 25 days following it.

Because the clock runs from the specific holiday, a pumpkin display and a nativity scene each carry their own deadlines in the City of Paramount. The code does not publish a list of holidays, so the Planning Director applies the section. Paragraph 2 directs the Planning Director and/or designee to use reasonable judgment to determine applicability, which covers whether an item is a seasonal decoration and which holiday it belongs to.

A resident who disagrees with that call has a two-step appeal. The Planning Director's decision can be appealed to the Development Review Board within 10 days, and the appeal is heard at the Board's next regularly scheduled meeting. Any Board decision can be appealed to the City Council within 10 days, and the City Council's decision is final.

String lights are excluded from this subsection because § 17.08.080(I) treats them separately, with a display period from Thanksgiving Day to January 15th. The same site standards also say all storage areas must be screened and that no storage can take place within the front yard area, which matters for decorations kept outside after the removal deadline. The section's history lists Ordinance 1198 (April 22, 2025) and Ordinance 1207 (October 28, 2025).