Clovis, CA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)

The exemption sits within Section 9.34.060, which frees the listed sign types from the chapter's permit process while still holding them to the prohibited-sign standards in Section 9.34.070. That means a genuine seasonal display, string lights, an inflatable figure, a lawn banner, or wreaths, does not need sign review or a building permit, and the code sets no size cap, height limit, or removal date for it, unlike the specific limits placed on other exempt categories such as real estate signs or political signs. The carve-out is narrow, though: an 'advertising sign disguised as a seasonal decoration' is expressly excluded from the exemption, so a business cannot avoid the sign permit and area-limit rules for a commercial banner by dressing it in holiday colors.

Because the exemption cross-references Section 9.34.070, a holiday display still cannot cross into the categories that chapter bans outright, most notably an animated or flashing display, or a display placed in a hazardous location such as blocking a driveway sightline or a public sidewalk. The exemption is listed alongside other permit-free categories in Section 9.34.060, such as flags, directory signs, and residential nameplates, part of the City's approach of reserving its Section 9.34.040 sign permit review process for permanent commercial and institutional signage rather than temporary residential or civic displays.