Virginia Beach, VA Sign Regulations: Holiday Displays (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- Seasonal lighting exempt outright
- Duration cap
- None specified in the code
- Condition
- Must not become a safety hazard
- Citation
- CZO § 252(b)(8)
- Contrast
- Event/construction lighting must end with event
Summary
Virginia Beach's outdoor lighting ordinance exempts temporary seasonal lighting outright, so holiday displays skip the brightness caps, fixture-shielding, and pole-height limits other exterior lighting must meet, as long as the display doesn't become a safety hazard.
The following are exempt from the provisions of this section so long as they are not deemed to be a hazard to public health, safety and welfare:
(1)Lighting for public art, monuments, and statuary, when directed toward the public art, monument, or statuary;(2)FAA-mandated lighting associated with a utility tower or airport;(3)Lights required for Air Navigation Safety by the FAA;(4)Lighting as part of a bona fide agricultural activity;(5)Lighting solely for signage (lighting for signs is regulated by the Sign Ordinance);(6)Temporary lighting for special events and construction sites - provided such lighting is discontinued upon the completion of the special event or construction activity;(7)Underwater lighting in swimming pools, fountains, and other water features;(8)Temporary seasonal lighting;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 170 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Zoning Ordinance § 252 caps outdoor illumination (0.5 to 5.0 foot-candles at the property line) and requires full-cutoff, shielded fixtures under a defined height. Subsection (b) lists 13 exemptions from those standards, and item (8) is simply "Temporary seasonal lighting": no day count, no start/end date. That's notably looser than the neighboring exemption for special-event and construction lighting (item 6), which is only exempt "provided such lighting is discontinued upon the completion of the special event or construction activity." Holiday lights carry no matching removal trigger; the only condition is the opening clause covering all 13 exemptions, that the lighting not be "deemed to be a hazard to public health, safety and welfare."
Violations & Fines
No permit or standards apply while lights stay non-hazardous. If a display is judged a hazard, blinding drivers, imitating a traffic signal, or similar, it loses the exemption and can be ordered brought into compliance with § 252's brightness and fixture rules, or removed as prohibited lighting under § 252(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I leave holiday lights up in Virginia Beach?
Do holiday lights have to meet the city's brightness or fixture rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Virginia Beach
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