Lansing, MI Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Holiday decorations
- Fully exempt from lighting standards
- No shielding/foot-candle limit
- Applies to holiday displays
- Override authority
- Zoning Administrator, if safety issue
Summary
Holiday decorations are exempt from Lansing's exterior lighting shielding and foot-candle standards, though the Zoning Administrator can still act on safety or nuisance grounds.
(c)Exemptions. The following are exempt from the lighting requirements of this article, except that the Zoning Administrator may take steps to eliminate the impact of the exempted items when deemed necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public:(1)Sports field lighting, in use no later than 11:00 p.m. Other sports field lighting may be approved by the Zoning Administrator after a determination that compliance with the standards in this Section have been met to the greatest extent possible, and that all efforts possible were made to minimize any negative impacts to surrounding uses.(2)Swimming pools.(3)Holiday decorations.(4)Window displays without glare.(5)Shielded pedestrian walkway lighting.(6)Residential lighting with no off-site glare.(7)Street lights. (Ord. No. 1331, § 1, 5-5-25)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
Lansing's Chapter 1250 exterior lighting rules require most fixtures to be fully shielded, downward-directed, and capped at set foot-candle intensities. Holiday decorations are carved out by name as one of the listed exemptions from those requirements, alongside sports field lighting, swimming pool lighting, and shielded pedestrian walkway lighting. The exemption is not absolute: the Zoning Administrator retains authority to step in on any exempted item if needed to protect public health, safety, or welfare.
Violations & Fines
No shielding, aiming, or intensity permit is required for holiday decorations, but the Zoning Administrator can order changes if a display creates a genuine safety or welfare hazard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Lansing's outdoor lighting rules apply to holiday lights?
Can the City still act on a holiday display?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lansing
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