Will County, IL Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempt duration
- Under 30 days per calendar year
- Governing section
- Zoning Code § 155-14.110(A)(6)
- Non-exempt residential limit
- 0.50 footcandles at property line
- Non-exempt nonresidential limit
- 1.00 footcandle at right-of-way
- Compliance deadline for complaints
- January 1, 2022
- Enforcement
- Zoning Administrator, § 155-17.20
Summary
Unincorporated Will County's outdoor lighting ordinance, Zoning Code § 155-14.110, exempts temporary holiday lighting used fewer than 30 days in a calendar year from the county's footcandle limits, shielding rules and photometric-plan requirements. Every other fixture, from parking lot lights to building floodlights, must meet strict brightness caps measured at the property line and stay off flashing, flickering or laser-type light sources year-round.
(A) Applicability and exemptions. The provisions of this section apply to all outdoor lighting except the following, which are expressly exempt: (1) Public street lights; (2) Single-family detached houses and agricultural uses identified as exempt under § 155-1.50(A); ... (6) Temporary holiday lighting, used fewer than 30 days in one calendar year; (7) Low-voltage landscape lighting; ... (B) Standards. Non-exempt outdoor lighting must comply with the following standards: (1) Outdoor lighting may not exceed 0.50 footcandles at any point on the abutting property if the subject property abuts a residential zoning district or a lot containing a residential use. (2) Outdoor lighting may not exceed 1.00 footcandles at the right-of-way line or at any point on the abutting property if the subject property abuts a non-residential zoning district or lot containing a nonresidential use.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
110, effective 10-1-2012 and last amended by Ordinance 18-194 on 7-19-2018. m. 00 footcandle at the right-of-way line or abutting property next to nonresidential land. All non-exempt sources must be shielded against glare spillover, and flickering, flashing, search and laser-source lights are banned outright under that subsection. 110(C) with a direct-reading light meter held six inches above grade at the property line, comparing on and off readings to isolate the fixture's own contribution from ambient light. 110(D), covering fixture locations, specifications, lamp type and a point-by-point illumination array at ten-foot intervals along the property line, paperwork holiday lighting under 30 days never has to file.
Violations & Fines
Because temporary holiday lighting is expressly exempt, the county does not cite it under § 155-14.110's brightness or shielding standards. Non-exempt outdoor lighting that drew a complaint had to come into compliance by January 1, 2022 under § 155-14.110(B)(5), and zoning violations generally are enforced by the Zoning Administrator under § 155-17.20, which allows permit revocation and stop-work orders and treats each week of an uncorrected violation as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put up holiday lights in unincorporated Will County?
How long can I leave holiday lights up before they count as regular outdoor lighting?
What lighting limits apply if my display isn't exempt?
What other outdoor lighting is exempt besides holiday displays?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
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