Nashville, TN Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit needed
- None
- Size or height limit
- None set
- Display season limit
- None set
- Governing rule
- Must not block sightlines
Summary
Metro Nashville's sign code exempts holiday lights and decorations entirely from sign regulation, with no permit, size cap, or seasonal timing limit: unlike election or event signs, which carry explicit day windows.
The following on-premises signs are exempt from the operation of these sign regulations provided they are not placed or constructed to be in violation of Section 17.20.180, Visibility, or so as to create a hazard of any kind through the obstruction of vision by motorists and pedestrians.
A.Within nonresidential districts, signs that are displayed for the safe direction of the public on the property, such as signs which identify entrances, exits, drive-thru windows, or signs of a similar nature. Such signs shall not exceed six square feet in area, provided that such sign, or combination of such signs, does not constitute a sign prohibited by Section 17.20.180 of this title and shall adhere to the height and setback provisions for permanent, on-premises ground signs;B.Signs necessary to promote health, safety and welfare, and other regulatory, statutory, traffic control or directional signs erected on public property with permission as appropriate from the state, the United States of America, or the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County;C.Legal notices and official instruments;D.Holiday lights and decorations;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53 | Charter: Republication 9).
Full Breakdown
Metropolitan Code Title 17, Chapter 17.32 (sign regulations) lists exempt signs in Section 17.32.040. Item D exempts 'Holiday lights and decorations' outright, with no square-footage cap, height limit, or fixed display window: unlike the same section's other seasonal exemptions, which do carry day limits (political signs up to 120 days before an election, flags and bunting up to 30 days before an event). The one condition carried over from the section's opening clause is Section 17.20.180's visibility rule: a display can't be placed so as to create a sightline hazard for drivers or pedestrians. No zoning permit is required to put up a holiday light display in Metro Nashville and Davidson County.
Violations & Fines
Holiday lights aren't exempt from the visibility rule: a display positioned to block sightlines at a driveway, corner, or intersection can still be cited as a hazard under Section 17.20.180, even though no sign permit was ever required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for holiday lights in Nashville?
Is there a deadline to take down holiday decorations in Nashville?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashville
Compare Nashville to another location·View the Tennessee sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.