Bakersfield, CA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption window
- 60 consecutive days maximum
- Governing chapter
- BMC Chapter 17.71 Outdoor Lighting
- After the 60 days
- Full outdoor-lighting standards apply
- Enforcement
- Code enforcement, fire and police departments
Summary
Bakersfield's outdoor lighting chapter exempts holiday lights from its glare, shielding and energy-use standards, but only while they're seasonal decorations in use for 60 consecutive days or less, under Bakersfield Municipal Code § 17.71.060.F. Leave a display up longer and it must meet the full outdoor-lighting code.
17.71.060 Exemptions. The following are exempt from the provisions of this chapter: A. Traffic control signals and devices; B. Temporary emergency related lighting (e.g., fire, police, utility repair); C. Moving vehicle lights; D. Navigation lights (e.g., airports, heliports, radio/television towers); E. Signs in conformance with Chapter 17.60 of this code; F. Seasonal decorations provided they are not in use longer than sixty consecutive days; G. Temporary or periodic events with temporary lighting as approved by the city (e.g., rodeos, revivals, fairs, fiestas, carnivals). Permanent lighting installations must conform to the requirements of this chapter; H. Lighting on any single-unit residentially zoned lot, or multiple-unit residentially zoned lot that contains four units or less;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 5221, passed July 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
71 (Outdoor Lighting) sets citywide standards aimed at controlling glare, light trespass and wasted energy from fixtures on commercial and residential property, including rules on shielding, upward-directed light and after-hours use. ' In practice, that means a homeowner or business can string holiday lights, spotlight a display, or otherwise light up a seasonal decoration without running it through the shielding, non-glare and energy-conservation requirements that apply to permanent fixtures, as long as the display comes down inside a 60-day window. 60, and lighting on single-unit or small multi-unit residential lots are separately exempt, so the 60-day seasonal-decoration clause is really aimed at commercial and larger multi-unit properties that would otherwise have to fully permit their outdoor lighting.
71's stated purpose, discouraging over-lighting, encouraging timers and photocells, and directing light 'only where it is needed, when it is needed', still informs how code enforcement treats a seasonal display that runs past the 60-day mark or that floods neighboring property with glare.
Violations & Fines
A seasonal lighting display that stays up beyond 60 consecutive days loses its exemption and must meet Chapter 17.71's full standards: no upward-directed light, no blinking or revolving fixtures, and shielding against glare onto adjacent properties or the Kern River and natural areas under § 17.71.070. Title 17 is enforced by the code enforcement division, fire department and police department, and a designated building inspector III or higher can issue a misdemeanor citation under § 17.72.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I leave up holiday lights in Bakersfield?
Do string lights on my own house need a permit?
What counts as a violation of the outdoor lighting rules for holiday lights?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bakersfield
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