Fitchburg, WI Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)

' The exemption is conditioned on the display 'not differ[ing] substantially from the requirements set forth in this chapter,' and it applies except as provided in § 26-85, the chapter's separate rule on banners, inflatable signs and beacons. Because Chapter 28's Dark Sky Ordinance separately defines 'holiday lighting' as 'any low wattage seasonal decorative lighting' (§ 28-2) and exempts it from the outdoor lighting illuminance and shielding standards outright under § 28-5(g), a holiday light display in Fitchburg can clear two different exemptions at once: it is free from Chapter 28's footcandle and full-cutoff rules with no stated time limit, and it is free from Chapter 26's sign permitting rules for up to 30 days a year.

Once a decorative holiday display exceeds the 30-day window, § 26-4(5) no longer shields it, and the display is treated as an ordinary sign subject to the size, placement and permit requirements that apply in whatever zoning district it sits in. Enforcement of the sign code runs through § 26-6, which applies the general penalty in § 1-21 and allows the city to seek an injunction through the zoning administrator without first prosecuting for a forfeiture.