Stamford, CT Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Single display max
- 60 contiguous days
- Annual total cap
- 120 days per year
- Exempts from
- normal shielding/light-level standards
- Chapter
- Ch. 155, Exterior Lighting
Summary
Stamford limits any seasonal lighting display to 60 contiguous days, and caps all seasonal displays on a property at a combined 120 days per calendar year.
Seasonal Lighting Displays: Lighting displays operated for a period not to exceed sixty (60) contiguous days for a given display or a total of one hundred twenty (120) days in a given calendar year for all displays.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72).
Full Breakdown
The Exterior Lighting chapter exempts seasonal lighting from its normal shielding and light-level standards, but only within limits: a given seasonal display may run no more than sixty contiguous days, and the total of all seasonal displays at one property cannot exceed one hundred twenty days in a calendar year. Beyond that, the display must meet the chapter's regular fixture, shielding, and light-level rules like any other exterior lighting, or the property owner risks a civil citation.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 60-day single-display or 120-day annual cap forfeits the seasonal exemption, exposing the display to the chapter's normal light-level rules and a $100-per-day citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I keep holiday lights up in Stamford?
Do holiday lights have to meet the normal brightness rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stamford
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