Los Angeles, CA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption cap
- 90 days maximum for festive dwelling lighting
- Applies to
- Dwelling occupancies only, not commercial displays
- Beyond cap
- Requires standard electrical permit, § 93.0201
- Enforcing agency
- LA Dept. of Building and Safety (LADBS)
- Late-filing grace
- Noon, 3rd business day after work started
Summary
Festive holiday lighting on a home doesn't need an electrical permit as long as it's temporary and stays up 90 days or less, per LAMC § 93.0202(a)(5). Leave a display wired in longer than that, and it stops counting as temporary decorative lighting: the city's general electrical permit rule then applies in full.
SEC. 93.0202. EXCEPTIONS, PERMITS NOT REQUIRED. (a) No permit shall be required in the following cases: ... 5. Festive temporary decorative lighting in dwelling occupancies only, for a period not to exceed 90 days. (Amended by Ord. No. 179,325, Eff. 12/10/07, Oper. 1/1/08.)
Full Breakdown
' The exemption is also limited to dwelling occupancies: a store, restaurant, or hotel adding seasonal lighting to its storefront gets no equivalent carve-out and must permit any new circuits or fixtures the same way it would for permanent signage. Because this is a permit exemption, not a separate lighting-intensity standard, it only removes the paperwork step for wiring, it does not authorize glare, brightness, or aiming that would otherwise be regulated elsewhere in the Electrical Code. 0201 by filing for a permit by noon on the third business day the Department's office is open after work began, but that grace period applies to work that actually required a permit, not to a display that stays inside the 90-day festive-lighting window.
In practice, plugging strings of lights into existing outlets for the season needs nothing from the city; hard-wiring a new dedicated circuit, transformer, or display meant to run past 90 days is a permanent installation requiring a permit before work starts.
Violations & Fines
Wiring or maintaining a decorative display past the 90-day exemption without a permit is treated as unpermitted electrical work under LAMC § 93.0201, enforced by the LA Department of Building and Safety. Inspectors can require the display de-energized, order it opened for inspection, or require a retroactive permit; the missed-permit investigation fee under LAMC § 93.0212 applies once unpermitted wiring is discovered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put up Christmas lights in Los Angeles?
What happens if my holiday lights stay up past 90 days?
Does the 90-day exemption cover businesses too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles
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Holiday Displays in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle holiday displays.