Jacksonville, FL Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Approval #1
- City Council resolution
- Approval #2
- JEA Managing Director sign-off
- Scope
- JEA poles and light standards only
- Citation
- Ordinance Code § 326.103(i)
- Unauthorized postings
- Unlawful under § 326.104(b)
Summary
Holiday decorations on JEA electric poles and light standards are exempt from Jacksonville's sign-permit chapter only if the posting is approved by a City Council resolution and the installation is separately approved by JEA's Managing Director.
Signs posted on electric poles or light standards maintained by the JEA and advertising events in publicly-owned facilities or holiday decorations, the posting of which on the poles is approved by Council resolution; provided, that the construction and installation of the signs or decorations has been approved by the Managing Director of the JEA.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Jacksonville's building code (Chapter 326, Signs and Outdoor Display Structures) generally bars attaching anything to a utility pole, Section 326.104(b) makes it unlawful to tack, tie or paste a sign to a hydrant, tree, lamppost or electric utility pole. Section 326.103(i) creates one narrow carve-out: holiday decorations mounted on JEA-owned poles or light standards skip the sign-permit process, but only when City Council has passed a resolution authorizing the posting and JEA's Managing Director has separately approved how the decorations are constructed and installed. There is no comparable citywide rule limiting holiday lights or decorations on private homes or yards, those simply fall outside the sign code.
Violations & Fines
Decorations hung on a JEA pole without both the Council resolution and JEA Managing Director sign-off are treated as an unlawful sign structure under Section 326.104(b), subject to removal and civil forfeiture to the City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hang holiday lights on a utility pole in Jacksonville?
Does this rule cover holiday decorations at my house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jacksonville
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Jacksonville to another location·View the Florida sign regulations overview
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