Lynn, MA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- String lights (non-holiday)
- Banned on commercial premises
- Holiday lighting
- Exempt while temporary
- Illumination curfew
- Off midnight to 6 a.m.
- Enforcing agency
- Inspectional Services Department
- Applies
- Citywide except Central Business District
Summary
Lynn's sign ordinance bans string lights on commercial premises outright, but Section 4:00.B carves out an exception for temporary holiday decoration lighting. Illuminated holiday displays still fall under the chapter's general lighting rules, which cut off exterior sign illumination between midnight and 6 a.m. unless the business is open.
IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN AN ORDINANCE REGULATING SIGNS IN THE CITY OF LYNN EXCEPT IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ... Section ... 3:00 General Regulations. ... A. No exterior sign shall be illuminated between twelve midnight and six a.m. except signs identifying police station, fire station, or hospitals, except signs on premises open for business and then only while open for business. ... Section 4:00 Prohibited Signs. The following signs shall not be permitted, constructed, erected, or maintained: ... B. String lights used in connection with commercial premises with the exception of temporary lighting for holiday decoration; ... Section 11:00 Violation--Penalty. Any person violating the provisions of this chapter shall be fined a fee as established by the department of inspectional services. Each day such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.
Full Breakdown
Section 4:00 of the 2019 sign ordinance lists prohibited signs for the City of Lynn outside the Central Business District, and subsection B bars string lights used in connection with commercial premises, with the exception of temporary lighting for holiday decoration. In practice that means year-round strand lighting on a storefront is banned, but decorative lights put up for a holiday season are allowed as long as they stay temporary rather than becoming a permanent fixture. , except for signs identifying a police station, fire station, or hospital, or unless the premises is open for business, in which case the lighting may run only while the business is open.
A's separate ban on flashing or intermittent lighting, which a moving holiday display could otherwise run afoul of. The Department of Inspectional Services administers the sign chapter under Section 10:00, and any dispute over whether a display is truly temporary or has become a permanent fixture is resolved by that department.
Violations & Fines
Maintaining commercial string lights past the holiday season, or running an illuminated display past the midnight-to-6 a.m. curfew in Section 3:00.A, violates Section 11:00 of the chapter. The penalty is a fine set by the Department of Inspectional Services, and each day the lighting remains in violation is treated as a separate offense, so an unremoved display can accumulate daily fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are holiday lights on a storefront legal in Lynn?
How late can holiday lights stay lit at a Lynn business?
What happens if a business never takes its holiday lights down?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynn
Compare Lynn to another location·View the Massachusetts sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.