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Allentown, PA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Allowed window
October 25 through January 10
Governing section
§ 660-82.J(4)
Enforcing agency
City Zoning Officer
Max civil penalty
$500 per day
Applies citywide
to signs and other light sources

Summary

Allentown's zoning performance standards ban flashing, flickering, or strobe lighting on any sign or light source citywide, but Zoning Ordinance § 660-82.J(4) carves out seasonal holiday lights, letting them run only between October 25 and January 10 each year. Outside that roughly eleven-week window, the same flicker ban applies to holiday displays like any other lighting.

Flickering. Flashing, flickering or strobe lighting are prohibited, except for seasonal holiday lights between October 25 and January 10.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4995055; v49 updated 2026-06-26; through 06-26-2026).

Full Breakdown

J. Subsection J(2) requires all light sources to be diffused with a translucent cover so the bulb itself is not directly visible from streets, sidewalks, or neighboring lots, and bars stringing five or more bare incandescent bulbs of 40 watts or greater along a public street or an abutting property. Subsection J(3) requires shielding so lighting does not create a nuisance for people in adjacent dwellings or glare into the eyes of passing motorists. Subsection J(4), the flickering rule, prohibits flashing, flickering, or strobe lighting outright, then adds the sole holiday carve-out, allowing such lighting only between October 25 and January 10.

That gives homeowners and businesses roughly eleven weeks each winter to run blinking string lights, projected displays, or strobe-style decorations that would otherwise violate the code the rest of the year. B(2)(a). D(2).

Violations & Fines

Running flashing, flickering, or strobe holiday lighting outside the October 25-January 10 window violates § 660-82.J(4) as a performance-standard breach. The Zoning Officer can issue a written enforcement notice and order the display discontinued under § 660-123.B(2)(a). Continued noncompliance exposes the owner to a civil judgment of up to $500 per day under § 660-123.D(1), plus court costs and the City's attorney fees, with each day a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I leave blinking holiday lights up after January 10 in Allentown?
No. Zoning Ordinance § 660-82.J(4) only exempts flashing, flickering, or strobe holiday lighting between October 25 and January 10. Once that window closes, the general flicker ban resumes and the display becomes a performance-standard violation the Zoning Officer can order removed, with civil penalties up to $500 per day for continued noncompliance under § 660-123.D.
Does the flicker ban apply to businesses or just homes?
It applies citywide to any light source, including signs, regardless of zone or use, under § 660-82.J. The seasonal holiday-lighting exception in subsection J(4) is likewise available to both residential and commercial properties, as long as the display runs only within the October 25 to January 10 window.
What counts as prohibited flickering under the ordinance?
Section 660-82.J(4) bars flashing, flickering, or strobe lighting outright, without further definition, so any light source that exhibits sudden or marked on-off or brightness changes falls under the ban outside the holiday window. Elsewhere the code defines a flashing sign as one not kept constant in intensity and that exhibits sudden or marked changes in lighting effects.

Sources & Official References

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All Allentown rules

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