Paterson, NJ Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required for signs
- Yes, from Division of Community Improvements
- Holiday lights/decorations
- Exempt if no commercial message
- Duration limit
- None stated in the ordinance
- Governing section
- §500-8.2.C, Chapter 500 sign code
- Enforcing agency
- Division of Community Improvements
Summary
Paterson doesn't require a sign permit for holiday lights and decorations, as long as they carry no commercial message: the city's sign code lists them among the exempted signs needing no Division of Community Improvements approval.
§500-8.2 Exempted Signs. No approval shall be required for the signs listed below: ... C. Holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Paterson's sign code (Chapter 500 of the Land Development Ordinance) requires a permit from the Division of Community Improvements for nearly every sign erected, altered or relocated in the city. Section 500-8.2 carves out specific exemptions from that requirement, and holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message are one of them, alongside items like interior signs and public notice signs. The exemption sets no time limit: nothing in the ordinance restricts how long a holiday display stays up or ties it to a holiday season. Add a commercial message, though, and the display becomes a regular sign subject to the standard permit and district sign rules.
Violations & Fines
None for a bare holiday display: it's exempt. Add a commercial message and it needs a Division of Community Improvements sign permit like any other sign, or it's subject to removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put up holiday lights in Paterson?
Is there a time limit on how long holiday lights can stay up?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paterson
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