Temporary holiday and seasonal lighting displays in San Jose are exempt from the city's standard outdoor-lighting shielding and Kelvin requirements when installed and removed within a reasonable seasonal window. Excessive brightness, traffic hazards, or extended runs can still trigger nuisance enforcement.
San Jose treats temporary holiday and seasonal lighting (Christmas lights, Diwali displays, menorahs, Lunar New Year decorations, Halloween displays) as exempt from the technical fixture standards in SJMC Title 20 and Title 23 that apply to permanent outdoor lighting. The exemption assumes the display is installed and removed within a reasonable seasonal window (typically Thanksgiving through mid-January for winter holidays, with shorter windows for other holidays). Police and Code Enforcement can still respond to displays that block sidewalks, create traffic hazards, attract crowds disturbing neighbors, or run year-round contrary to the temporary nature of the exemption. Strobing or extremely bright animated displays may draw nuisance complaints.
Displays creating traffic hazards, blocking sidewalks, or producing late-night music-show noise can be cited under SJMC nuisance and noise rules. Year-round lights may lose the seasonal exemption and must comply with permanent-lighting standards.
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