Meridian, ID Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption
- Exempt from lumen and shielding rules
- Still barred
- Strobing, revolving, or color-changing lights
- Trespass cap
- 0.1 foot-candle max at residential line
- Scope
- Citywide, all zoning districts
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor under general code penalty
Summary
Meridian exempts holiday lighting from its outdoor lighting standards, including lumen caps and cutoff-shield rules, as long as the display doesn't create light trespass or blind drivers and pedestrians.
A. Types of lighting. The following types of lighting are exempt from the regulations of this section: 1. Light fixtures that have a maximum output of less than one thousand eight hundred (1,800) lumens unless said fixture is the source of light trespass in violation of subsection (C)(3) of this section or is configured in a manner that impairs the vision of drivers and/or pedestrians...3. Holiday lighting that is not in violation of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 14).
Full Breakdown
Meridian's outdoor lighting standards in UDC § 11-3A-11 cap light fixtures at 1,800 lumens, require full cutoff shields on brighter fixtures, and bar light trespass onto residential property beyond 0.1 foot-candle. Subsection (A)(3) carves out an exception: 'Holiday lighting that is not in violation of this section' is exempt from those lumen, shielding, and uplighting standards. The catch is in the wording, a display still can't cross into a violation elsewhere in the section, so strobing or color-changing holiday lights (barred in (B)(3)) and displays that trespass onto a neighbor's yard (barred in (C)(3)) lose the exemption and become ordinary code violations.
Violations & Fines
No dedicated fine: a holiday display that crosses into strobing, color-changing lights, or light trespass over 0.1 foot-candle at a neighbor's line loses its exemption and defaults to the Code's general misdemeanor penalty under § 1-2-1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Meridian's outdoor lighting rules apply to holiday lights?
Is there a limit on how long holiday lights can stay up in Meridian?
What can still get a holiday display cited in Meridian?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Meridian
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Holiday Displays in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle holiday displays.