Reading, PA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- City Arborist
- Removal deadline
- Within 30 days of holiday/end of season
- Permit duration cap
- 6 months, extendable by Arborist
- Revocation appeal
- 5 workdays to the Director
- Violation appeal
- 10 days to Shade Tree Commission
- Maximum fine
- $600 plus costs
- Default jail term
- Up to 30 days
Summary
Reading requires a written City Arborist permit before hanging lights or any other seasonal or holiday display on a shade tree in a public street, park, right-of-way or other public area, and once permitted the display must come down within 30 days of the holiday or the end of the season under Chapter 555.
A. No shade tree shall be planted, transplanted, cut, pruned, treated or removed in or upon any public street, highway or avenue, park, or open space without a written permit from the City Arborist. Any person who works on or has work done on a shade tree in a public area must first obtain a written permit from the City in accordance with § 555-106. All work required to be done under any permit issued hereunder shall be completed within the period specified, but not to exceed six months from the date issued, unless the time has been extended by the City Arborist.
B. Permits shall be required for the following: ... 5. Hanging lights and other seasonal or holiday displays. When permitted, all such displays shall be removed within 30 days following the holiday or end of season.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-8: Current through August 10, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 555, Trees, Part 1 gives the City's Department control over shade trees, defined as any tree in a public area or one that at maturity protrudes into a public area. A bars anyone from planting, transplanting, cutting, pruning, treating or removing a shade tree, or otherwise working on one in a public area, without a written permit from the City Arborist. Subsection B lists the activities that trigger the permit requirement, and item 5 is hanging lights and other seasonal or holiday displays, adding that when a display is permitted, it shall be removed within 30 days following the holiday or end of season.
The written application must describe the work, and under Subsection C it is reviewed and approved by the Arborist; a fee may apply under Chapter 212, Fees. Permits issued under this section run no longer than six months unless the Arborist extends the time, and any permit obtained through a false statement can be revoked, with the holder able to appeal the revocation in writing to the Director within five workdays. Property owners, lessees or their agents apply for the permit; abutting owners, municipal authorities and utilities are not exempt from these requirements, though City crews and their contractors may work on City-owned trees without a permit.
Violations & Fines
Hanging an unpermitted display, or leaving one up past the 30-day removal window, is enforced under Section 555-114. The Arborist serves a written notice of violation directing abatement; the property owner may appeal in writing within 10 days, and can request to appear before the Shade Tree Commission at its next meeting. If the violation is not abated as directed, the City Solicitor may sue to restrain or correct it. A conviction carries a fine of up to $600 plus costs, with up to 30 days in jail if the fine and costs go unpaid, and each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a City permit to hang holiday lights on a street tree in Reading?
How long can a holiday light display stay up on a Reading shade tree?
What happens if I don't remove holiday lights from a shade tree on time?
Can I appeal an Arborist's violation notice for a holiday display?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Reading
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