Holiday Display Permit Requirements

With the holiday season just around the corner, many neighborhoods are beginning to plan their seasonal decorations and community displays. OC Public Works would like to share a few important reminders to help keep our neighborhoods festive, safe, and welcoming for everyone.

Please take a moment to review the attached information and share it with others in your community.

The County of Orange wants to ensure that holiday decorations are displayed safely and do not create hazards for pedestrians, motorists, or nearby properties. We welcome the opportunity to work with residents and Home Owners Associations (HOAs) to make sure decorations placed on or over public property meet County requirements.

A few important things to know:

• A permit is required to place holiday decorations or other privately owned materials in or over public areas within unincorporated Orange County, including public streets and sidewalks.
• No permit is needed for decorations displayed entirely on private property.
• Extension cords may not cross public sidewalks or roadways and are not permitted under an encroachment permit.

Applying for a Road Access Encroachment Permit

If your neighborhood or HOA plans to display decorations in or over public areas, an encroachment permit is required. To help make the application process as straightforward as possible, please review the following requirements and prepare the necessary documentation:

1. Encroachment Permit Application: The application must be completed by the homeowner or HOA. If the HOA is the applicant, an authorized officer of the HOA Board must sign the application on behalf of the Board.
    
2. Site Plan: Submit a diagram showing the proposed locations of light strands, decorations, and any other elements being placed in or over the County right-of-way. Include the addresses of all properties participating in the display.
    
3. Letter of Authorization: If an HOA representative will be signing for the permit, a Letter of Authorization must be completed and notarized by the person authorized to represent the HOA. This requirement does not apply to individual property permits when the homeowner is both the applicant and the person signing for the permit.
    
4. Credit Card Authorization and Permit Fees: The combined permit fees are as follows:

• Individual property or single street: $515 ($470 Time and Materials deposit + $45 issuance fee).
• Multiple streets within an HOA: $1,420 ($1,375 Time and Materials deposit + $45 issuance fee).

An additional $1,000 deposit is required and is refundable upon satisfactory closure of the permit.

5. Insurance Information: Proof of adequate liability insurance must be submitted with the encroachment permit application.
    
6. Contractor Guidelines: Applicants and participants must review and follow the Contractor Guidelines, which outline the requirements and limitations for placing holiday decorations in the County right-of-way. Following these guidelines is essential to maintaining a safe environment for residents, pedestrians, and motorists.

Obtaining a road access encroachment permit and following these requirements will help ensure holiday decorations are installed safely and in compliance with County regulations. Please remember that a permit is not required for decorations displayed entirely on private property.

For additional information, application materials, and guidelines, please visit https://pw.oc.gov/News.

Thank you for helping us keep our neighborhoods safe while bringing a little extra holiday spirit to our communities.