Rancho Cordova, CA Holiday Decorations: Lawn Ornament Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Duration limit
- 90 days for non-UL-listed electrical decorations
- Governing section
- RCMC § 16.18.1703(P), Nuisance Code
- Also a nuisance
- Any decoration creating a health or safety hazard
- Enforcement path
- Notice and order to abate, hearing officer appeal
- Distinct from
- Sign code's 45-day holiday-display exemption
Summary
Rancho Cordova's nuisance code lists non-UL-approved electrical yard decorations left up past 90 days as a public nuisance on residential property. RCMC § 16.18.1703(P) targets temporary decorative lighting and electrical decorations, whether holiday lights, illuminated lawn ornaments or similar displays, that either lack Underwriters Laboratory approval for long-term outdoor use or are maintained in a way that threatens public health, safety or welfare.
The maintenance or keeping of temporary electrical decorative lighting or electrical decorations that have not been approved by Underwriter's Laboratory for long term outdoor use beyond a 90-day period, or that are being maintained in a manner which creates conditions that affect the public health, safety or general welfare;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4660102; v2 updated 2026-03-02; through 03-02-2026).
Full Breakdown
1703 of the nuisance code sets 'standards for residential property' that apply whenever a listed condition is visible from public property. ' In practice this reaches illuminated lawn ornaments, inflatable figures, string lights and similar electrified yard displays: if the fixture is not UL-listed for extended outdoor use, it has to come down within 90 days of being put up, and even a UL-listed display can be cited if it is left in disrepair, creates an electrical hazard, or otherwise affects neighbors' health or safety.
The chapter's introductory language makes clear that any listed condition is a public nuisance once visible from the street or a neighboring yard, so enforcement is complaint-driven. 1703(P) instead governs how long an electrical yard decoration can physically remain installed and in what condition, regardless of whether it also counts as a sign.
Violations & Fines
A cited decoration is processed through the city's standard nuisance-abatement procedure in Chapter 16.18 RCMC: the owner receives a notice and order to abate, can contest it before a hearing officer under RCMC §§ 16.18.504 through 16.18.511, and faces an administrative citation and fine under RCMC § 16.18.205(F) if the electrical decoration is not removed or brought into compliance. Judicial review follows Code of Civil Procedure § 1094.6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep an inflatable holiday lawn ornament up all year in Rancho Cordova?
Who enforces yard decoration rules in Rancho Cordova?
Does this rule apply to non-electric lawn ornaments too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rancho Cordova
California rules heatmap·Compare Rancho Cordova to another location·View the California holiday decorations overview
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