Ventura County, CA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt lighting
- Temporary seasonal/festive string lights
- Color limit for exemption
- Under 2,700 Kelvin
- Where allowed unrestricted
- Occupied dining/entertainment areas
- Zone
- Santa Monica Mountains Overlay only
Summary
Temporary holiday and seasonal string lights are exempt from the county's Santa Monica Mountains outdoor-lighting rules, as long as the bulbs run under 2,700 Kelvin and light only dining or entertainment areas.
Temporary seasonal or festive lighting that is not used as permanent landscape lighting (e.g., string lighting). String lights under a color-correlated temperature of two thousand seven hundred (2,700) Kelvin that are used only in occupied dining and entertainment areas are exempted.(c)Outdoor light fixtures downward facing and fully shielded with a maximum output of sixty (60) lumens or less, including solar lights. The maximum output of a light fixture (e.g., string lights) shall be calculated based upon the total output of the entire lighting component installed, not by each individual bulb. However, if such a light fixture is located in ESHA or buffer zone it is regulated by Section 8178-2.6.15.(d)Lighting in a swimming pool that is accessory to a legally established dwelling or is associated with a legally established camp use. (Ord. No. 4586, 10-19-2021)
Full Breakdown
The Santa Monica Mountains (M) Overlay Zone's outdoor-lighting standards exempt temporary seasonal or festive string lighting from the shielding, height, curfew and color-temperature rules that apply to permanent fixtures: provided the lights aren't used as permanent landscape lighting and any string lights under 2,700 Kelvin are confined to occupied dining and entertainment areas. Permanent landscape lighting, including string lights left up year-round outside those areas, is instead a prohibited fixture under Section 8177-4.1.11.4. The exemption applies only in the Santa Monica Mountains Overlay Zone.
Violations & Fines
Leaving string lights up as permanent landscape lighting, or running warmer/brighter fixtures outside dining and entertainment areas, forfeits the exemption and makes the installation a prohibited light fixture subject to code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up holiday lights without a lighting permit?
What happens if I leave string lights up all year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura County
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura County to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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