Fort Bend County, TX Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt window
- Nov 15 – Jan 15
- Governing order
- Outdoor Lighting Regulations, Sec. III
- Adopted
- March 23, 2004
- Enforced by
- Fort Bend County Engineering
Summary
Decorative holiday lighting is exempt from Fort Bend County's outdoor lighting rules, but only from November 15 through the next January 15.
3.1 This ordinance shall not apply to the following: a) Decorative holiday lighting from November 15 through the next January 15;
Full Breakdown
Fort Bend County's outdoor lighting order otherwise controls shielding, aiming, and illumination levels for fixtures in the unincorporated county, but Section III carves out decorative holiday lighting entirely for a defined seasonal window: November 15 through January 15. Outside that roughly two-month window, decorative string and yard lighting isn't covered by the holiday exemption and would need to meet the same shielding and glare standards as any other outdoor fixture under the ordinance.
Violations & Fines
County Engineering enforces the lighting order; nonconforming fixtures found outside the exempt window are subject to the ordinance's standard enforcement and penalty provisions for violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave holiday lights up all year in Fort Bend County?
Do holiday lights need to be shielded like other outdoor lighting?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Bend County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Fort Bend County to another location·View the Texas sign regulations overview
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