Davis, CA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Davis Municipal Code Section 8.17.040(c)
- Effect
- Exempt from fully-shielded fixture rule
- Effect
- Exempt from light-trespass/glare standard
- Not stated
- Start date, end date, or day limit
- Category
- Temporary decoration lighting
- Other exempt items
- Pre-existing fixtures, gas lamps, tube lighting
Summary
Davis's Outdoor Lighting Control ordinance exempts temporary holiday decoration lights from its fully-shielded fixture and light-trespass standards entirely, but the exemption sets no separate calendar window for how long a holiday display may stay lit each year.
(c) Temporary lights used for holiday decorations are exempt from the requirements of this article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4915048; v22 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
040 lists categories of fixtures exempt from the article's shielding and light-trespass standards, and subsection (c) states plainly that temporary lights used for holiday decorations are exempt from the requirements of this article. 030 imposes on commercial, industrial, multifamily and public fixtures. The exemption itself is not tied to a defined holiday season, and the article does not set a start date, end date, or maximum number of days a holiday display may remain lit; it only exempts the lighting from the shielding and glare rules that otherwise govern outdoor fixtures.
Because the exemption sits inside the lighting-control article rather than the sign code, it addresses light pollution and glare only, and does not itself authorize or limit where a holiday display can be placed relative to sidewalks, the public right-of-way, or setback lines.
Violations & Fines
The Section 8.17.040(c) holiday exemption removes shielding and trespass liability under Article 8.17, so a compliant seasonal display is not in violation. Because no duration limit appears in the article, the city has no separate misdemeanor or fine provision for how long the lights stay up; violations of the broader lighting article's other, non-exempt requirements still carry the misdemeanor and up-to-$1,000-per-day penalty in Section 8.17.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do holiday lights need to be shielded under Davis's ordinance?
Is there a time limit on how long holiday lights can stay up in Davis?
What other outdoor lighting is exempt like holiday lights in Davis?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis
California rules heatmap·Compare Davis to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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Holiday Displays in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Yolo County handle holiday displays.