Pittsburgh, PA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Max display period
- 90 consecutive days, 90 days/year
- Permit required
- No permit needed
- Right-of-way extension
- Requires city authorization
- Governing section
- Pittsburgh Code § 919.03.H
- Max fine for violation
- $1,000 per day
Summary
Pittsburgh's zoning code lets homeowners put up inflatable Santas, snowmen and other holiday decorations in any zoning district without a permit, but caps the display at 90 consecutive days and 90 days total per calendar year.
Holiday Displays. Temporary displays or signs in the nature of decorations, clearly incidental and commonly associated with any national, local or religious holiday, permitted in any district provided:
1. They shall not be displayed for a period of more than ninety (90) consecutive days nor more than ninety (90) days in any one (1) year;
2. They may extend over public right-of-ways provided authorization is supplied by the Director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure and the Chief of the Bureau of Building Inspection.
I. Convenience Information Signs. Convenience information signs, such as date, time and weather, and official emblems of on-premises religious, charitable, public and nonprofit organizations may be permitted in any district provided that such signs:
1. Shall not contain advertising matter attached to or integrated with or as part of such sign;
2. May be attached to a building wall and no part of the sign shall project more than four (4) inches at a height below eighty (80) inches from the grade beneath the sign. Signs attached to the building at a height above eighty (80) inches from the bottom of the sign to the grade beneath the sign shall not project more than three (3) feet from the building.
3. Shall not exceed eighteen (18) square feet in face area;
4.
Full Breakdown
Pittsburgh Code § 919.03.H treats inflatable snowmen, Santas and similar blow-up decorations as 'temporary displays or signs in the nature of decorations, clearly incidental and commonly associated with any national, local or religious holiday.' They're permitted in every zoning district with no size cap and no permit requirement, but can't stay up more than 90 consecutive days, or more than 90 days total in any one calendar year. An inflatable that spills onto the public right-of-way, over a sidewalk or street, needs sign-off from both the Director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure and the Chief of the Bureau of Building Inspection.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 924 treats an overstayed or unauthorized right-of-way display as a zoning violation: up to a $1,000 fine per day plus costs, or up to 30 days in the county jail for nonpayment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for an inflatable Santa in Pittsburgh?
How long can holiday inflatables stay up in Pittsburgh?
Can my inflatable display extend over the sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pittsburgh
Compare Pittsburgh to another location·View the Pennsylvania sign regulations overview
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