Stafford County, VA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)

Section 28-25's definitions article sets the boundary between decorations residents can put up without treating them as regulated signage and features that fall under the chapter's permanent sign and structure standards. "Holiday displays" covers items erected on a seasonal basis to observe a religious, national or state holiday, so long as the display is not intended to be permanent, runs less than 90 days, and contains no advertising material. The companion definition, "holiday lighting," covers temporary strings of small individual lamps, the decorative lighting commonly strung during the same seasonal window.

Together the two definitions describe what qualifies as temporary, noncommercial holiday decoration under the zoning ordinance, distinguishing that use from a sign, defined and measured elsewhere in the same article under §§ 28-24(6) and 28-24(7), which is subject to the chapter's area, height and permitting rules. A display that exceeds 90 days, is intended to be permanent, or carries advertising content falls outside the "holiday displays" definition and would instead be evaluated under the chapter's general sign and structure standards for the applicable zoning district.