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

Section 26-273(7) of the Zoning Ordinance governs temporary sign permits, and subsection (b) specifically covers special decorative displays used for holidays, public demonstrations, or promotion for nonpartisan civic purposes. The Zoning Administrator issues these permits on application, and the total display time is capped at sixty days during one calendar year, spread across no more than four separate permit periods, so a property could run one holiday display for part of the season and a second unrelated decorative display later in the year without exceeding the annual cap.

The area of the temporary display cannot exceed the maximum area allowed for a detached sign in the zoning district where it is located, tying holiday decorations back to the same size ceiling that governs a permanent ground or monument sign on that property. The same subsection also covers signs for special civic or cultural events such as a fair, exposition, play, concert or meeting sponsored by a governmental or charitable organization, and special sales promotion displays, including displays marking the opening of a new business, in a district where such sales are permitted. and sunrise unless the business is open.