Union City, CA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit
- Not required, no commercial message
- Size limit
- None stated
- Duration limit
- None stated
- Loses exemption if
- Display carries commercial message
Summary
Union City exempts holiday lights and decorations from sign permit review entirely, as long as they carry no commercial message: no size, duration, or design review applies.
The following sign types are permitted in all zoning districts and are exempt from the sign application procedures stated in Section 18.30.100, unless specifically prohibited by Section 18.30.050:
A. Official Notices. Any public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance; and, notices posted by public officers in performance of their duties.
B. Regulatory, Directional and Warning Signs. Governmental signs, which contain no commercial message of any sort, to provide directions or control of traffic or other regulatory purposes, including street-name signs, danger signs and traffic-control signs, such as stop, yield, and similar signs, the face of which must meet Department of Transportation standards; signs of public utility or service companies indicating danger or aid to service or safety, including signs showing the placement or location of underground public utilities or to protect property rights.
C. Any sign inside a building, or within an enclosed mall or multi-building project that is not visible from public right-of-way.
D. Holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message.
E. Real estate signs used to advertise the sale, rent, or lease of a single residential parcel, provided that said signs shall be naturally illuminated, shall be mounted on a post or "A" frame, and shall not exceed seven square feet in area and shall be used subject to the following restrictions:
1.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4940544; v16 updated 2026-06-23).
Full Breakdown
Under Union City Municipal Code § 18.30.040(D), holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message are listed among the sign types exempt from the Chapter 18.30 application procedures in every zoning district. Unlike real estate signs (60-day display cap) or political signs (removal within 14 days of the election), the code sets no size limit, illumination restriction, or display-period cap on non-commercial holiday displays. The exemption holds only as long as the display carries no commercial message; add a business name, logo, or advertisement and the display loses the exemption and must go through standard sign review under § 18.30.100.
Violations & Fines
A holiday display that includes a commercial message loses the § 18.30.040(D) exemption and can be cited as an unpermitted sign under § 18.30.020 if it skips required sign review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for holiday lights in Union City?
Is there a limit on how big or how long my holiday display can be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Union City
California rules heatmap·Compare Union City to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.