Riverside does not impose a stand-alone holiday display ordinance for residential property. Holiday/seasonal lighting is treated under the outdoor lighting standards in RMC Chapter 19.556, and any holiday signage on private property falls under the temporary sign rules of §19.620.090.
The City of Riverside regulates outdoor lighting through RMC Chapter 19.556 (Outdoor Lighting), which governs shielding, lumens and curfews for permanent fixtures. Holiday decorative lighting on single-family residential property is not specifically prohibited and the Code does not impose a posting or removal deadline on residential displays. Temporary holiday signage (inflatable yard decorations, banners) is subject to RMC §19.620.090 size and duration limits for temporary signs, and §19.625.030 prohibits placement in the public right-of-way. Riverside hosts the Mission Inn Festival of Lights downtown — see RMC Chapter 13.21 (Festival of Lights Regulations) for street and traffic rules during that period, which apply to the Mission Inn district rather than residential decorations. There is no time-of-day curfew on residential holiday lights in the City of Riverside code (the 11 p.m. curfew reported in news coverage applies to unincorporated Riverside County under Ord. No. 655/915, not to City residents).
Residential holiday lighting is rarely cited. Nuisance light spillover onto a neighbor's bedroom window can be addressed under RMC Chapter 19.556 outdoor lighting standards via Code Enforcement (951) 826-5633. Temporary holiday signs that violate §19.620.090 size limits or are placed in the right-of-way are subject to the $100/$200/$500 administrative citation schedule under §19.625.030.
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