Calaveras County, CA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempting provision
- § 17.24.030(B)
- Permit required
- none (zoning clearance waived)
- Size cap
- none specified
- Duration cap
- none specified
- Site sign-area count
- excluded
- Holiday lighting fixtures
- also exempt, § 17.16.100(B)(3)(d)
Summary
Temporary holiday displays and decorations are exempt from Calaveras County's sign permit and zoning-clearance requirements under Section 17.24.030(B), and they don't count toward a property's total sign-area allowance. Unlike special-event or general temporary signs, the code sets no maximum size or removal deadline for them.
The following signs are exempt from the permit requirements of this chapter, and they do not count toward the total sign area limit for a site, provided that they conform to the specified standards. ... B.Temporary holiday displays and decorations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
030 opens by exempting a list of sign types from the chapter's permit requirements, stating they are exempt from the permit requirements of this chapter and do not count toward the total sign area limit for a site, provided that they conform to the specified standards. 060(B), which otherwise requires clearance for every sign not specifically exempted. 100(F)(1) are capped at four feet by eight feet and a six-week display period. Holiday displays carry neither limit. 100(B)(3)(d), the county's outdoor lighting ordinance, separately exempts temporary seasonal lighting displays related to cultural or religious celebrations from its shielding, Kelvin, and maximum light-level standards.
Violations & Fines
The exemption covers displays and decorations that are genuinely temporary and seasonal; a display that becomes a year-round fixture or that carries a commercial advertising message falls outside Section 17.24.030(B) and must instead obtain the zoning clearance required of ordinary signs under Section 17.24.060(B), or it is enforceable as an unpermitted sign under the chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put up holiday lights or decorations in Calaveras County?
Is there a deadline to take down holiday decorations?
Are outdoor holiday lights regulated by the county's outdoor lighting rules?
What if my holiday display is really advertising my business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Calaveras County
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