Farmington Hills, MI Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)

There is no Farmington Hills ordinance setting a removal deadline for residential holiday lights or seasonal decorations. The City's Chapter 34 sign definition targets devices used to identify or advertise commerce, a business, an event, or an activity — generic seasonal wreaths, garlands, inflatables, illuminated displays, and string lights without a commercial message generally do not meet that definition. Several other rules still apply to seasonal displays: (1) Sight-distance / clear-vision triangles at intersections and driveways (Chapter 34) must remain clear — inflatables, lawn ornaments, and amplified-sound speakers must not obstruct driver sightlines; (2) Chapter 17 (Nuisances) prohibits noises, lights, vibrations, and other conditions that constitute a nuisance — excessively bright spillover lighting projecting onto a neighbor's home or onto the roadway can be cited as a nuisance; (3) Chapter 17 noxious-vegetation and blight provisions (Sec. 17-26 through 17-31 noxious weeds; Sec. 17-51 et seq. blight) apply to general property maintenance and would catch decorations that have collapsed and become debris; (4) Chapter 26 prohibits placing private decorations and structures in the public right-of-way — holiday inflatables, signs, and lights staked in the tree lawn or sidewalk strip may be removed by the City; (5) Chapter 19 (Noise) regulates amplified seasonal music; (6) Chapter 23 (Building Code) — temporary structures and electrical work for elaborate seasonal displays may require an electrical permit if work is hard-wired by a licensed electrician. The 2015 International Property Maintenance Code as adopted by Chapter 7 also addresses general property upkeep. HOAs and condominium associations across Farmington Hills impose private CC&R rules on seasonal-display windows; those are enforced privately under the Michigan Condominium Act (MCL 559.101 et seq.) for condos and the Summer Resort Owners Corporation Act / general contract law for HOAs. The Building Division (248-871-2450) handles permit questions; the Planning Department / Zoning and Code Enforcement (248-871-2540) handles sight-distance, nuisance, and blight enforcement.