Littleton, CO Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt months
- November, December, and January only
- Governing section
- Littleton City Code Sec. 10-1-3.11(C)(4)
- Condition
- No unsafe glare onto street rights-of-way
- Electrical code
- Must comply with adopted electrical code
- Outside window
- Standard shielding/glare rules apply
- Max fine
- $2,650 under general penalty Sec. 1-4-1
Summary
Littleton exempts holiday lighting from its outdoor lighting standards only during November, December and January. City Code Section 10-1-3.11(C)(4) lets homes and businesses light up for the season without a lighting plan, provided the display doesn't throw unsafe glare onto a street right-of-way and meets the adopted electrical code.
C. Exemptions. ... The following development is exempted from this Section: ... ... 4. Holiday lighting during the months of November, December, and January, provided the lighting does not create unsafe glare on street rights-of-way and is in compliance with the adopted electrical code;
Full Breakdown
cutoff for fixtures visible from a residential district. 11(C)(4): it is exempt from those standards, but only during the months of November, December, and January, and only if it does not create unsafe glare on street rights-of-way and complies with the adopted electrical code. Outside that three-month window, a seasonal display is treated like any other exterior lighting and must meet the Section's general shielding and glare standards, which means, among other things, that a fixture must be aimed no more than 45 degrees off the mounting surface if visible from residential property or a public roadway.
The exemption sits alongside a short list of other narrow carve-outs in the same subsection, including low-voltage and solar landscape lighting, underwater pool and fountain lighting, and outdoor eating-area string lights that must be turned off at close of business, so a business combining a holiday display with permanent accent lighting still has to keep the non-holiday fixtures within the standard rules. Because the holiday exemption is tied to the electrical code, a display plugged into wiring or extension cords that don't meet the adopted electrical code can lose the exemption even inside the November-January window.
Violations & Fines
A holiday display left up outside the November-through-January window, or one that creates unsafe glare toward a street, loses its exemption and becomes an ordinary Code violation, enforceable under the City's general penalty at City Code Section 1-4-1: a fine of up to $2,650, up to 364 days in jail, or probation, with each day of noncompliance counted as a separate offense. Code enforcement typically directs the owner to bring the display into compliance or remove it before pursuing formal charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I put up holiday lights in Littleton?
Do holiday lights need a permit in Littleton?
Can my holiday lights shine toward the street?
What if I leave my holiday lights up into February?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Littleton
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Holiday Displays in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Arapahoe County handle holiday displays.