Park City takes its night sky seriously, and since its dark-sky update to the land management code, holiday lights follow their own calendar and curfew. If you live inside city limits, or own a second home here, a few dates and one nightly deadline cover almost everything you need to know. Homes outside city limits in the Snyderville Basin follow Summit County’s rules instead, and those differ in two important ways.
Inside Park City limits
Seasonal lights are allowed from November 1 through March 1. At homes they have to be switched off by 11 p.m. each night; businesses get until midnight. Lights also can’t spill out unnecessarily or interfere with a neighbor’s use and enjoyment of their property, so aim matters as much as timing. These are the rules residents worked under last season, as reported by TownLift in November 2025.
A few areas downtown work differently. Buildings on Main Street, Swede Alley and in Prospector, along with the General Commercial zone, may keep lights outlining the building all year, with a 2:30 a.m. shut-off. That exception is for those commercial areas, not for homes.
In unincorporated Summit County
If your address is in Jeremy Ranch, Pinebrook, Silver Springs or elsewhere outside city limits, Summit County’s dark-sky ordinance applies. Its seasonal window is November 15 through March 1, two weeks shorter at the front end than the city’s. The county doesn’t set a mandatory nightly shut-off for holiday displays, but it asks that lights not create dangerous glare on nearby property and recommends turning them off by 11 p.m. and closing blinds by 10 p.m. to protect migratory birds. The county’s Dark Skies page is the place to confirm the current year.
Color temperature and shielding
Both the city and the county limit outdoor light fixtures to 3,000 K or warmer, and require them to be fully shielded and aimed down. Those rules were written with porch lights, landscape lighting and building fixtures in mind. Holiday strings are governed mainly by the seasonal window and the curfew, but warm white is the easy choice that keeps everything consistent with the spirit of the code.
Decks, porches and patios
String lights over a deck, porch or patio fall into their own category. Reporting by KPCW on the city’s rules described them as allowed year-round on those outdoor living areas, as long as they aren’t used to light landscaping or the structure itself. If you want patio lighting in July, keep it on the deck rather than wrapping trees or outlining the roof.
What this means when you plan a display
- Pick your start date by address. November 1 inside city limits; November 15 in the county.
- Automate the curfew. A timer that switches everything off by 11 p.m. removes the need to remember, which matters most for homes that sit empty between visits.
- Aim at the house, not the street. Rooflines, entries and trees close to the home keep light on your own property.
- Choose warm white. It looks right against snow and stays in line with the 3,000 K standard.
- Check your association’s guidelines. Gated and resort communities can add their own requirements on top of city or county rules.
Second homes and absentee owners
A large share of Park City homes are only occupied part of the winter. That’s exactly where the 11 p.m. rule trips people up: a display left on manual switches either stays dark or stays on all night. Setting the schedule once, with the right season start for your address, means the house is lit when you arrive for the holidays and quiet by 11 every evening whether anyone is home or not.
How we set up Park City displays
Every display we install here is programmed to the rules for that address before our crew leaves. You buy your lights from Majestic and pay for installation labor; from year two on, you pay labor only, because the lights are already yours. Our lifetime warranty on Christmas lighting products means any broken parts are replaced each year you sign up for installation, and a 65% deposit reserves your install date. Calendars fill in November, so book early. See Christmas light installation in Park City for how it works, or Park City outdoor lighting for year-round options.
Park City holiday lighting questions
Can I turn my lights on before November 1?
Not inside city limits. Lights can be installed earlier, but they shouldn’t be lit until the window opens. In the county, the window opens November 15.
Do the rules apply to a home in Kimball Junction?
Kimball Junction is outside Park City limits, so Summit County’s rules usually apply. Confirm with the county for your specific address.
Is the 11 p.m. shut-off required in the county too?
The county recommends it but, as reported for the 2025 season, doesn’t require a set shut-off for holiday displays. Its glare rule still applies.
Do my HOA’s rules matter?
Yes. Check your association’s guidelines; they can be stricter than the city or county.