How Annapolis Handles Outdoor Lighting: A Practical Guide
Annapolis maintains 127 local ordinances across all categories, and 2 of those deal specifically with outdoor lighting. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Annapolis falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Annapolis caps site-plan parking lot lighting at three foot-candles at the lot line and requires fixtures to point away from homes and streets so illumination doesn't spill onto neighboring residential property.
Key details: Lighting cap: 3 foot-candles at the lot line. Applies to: Site design plan review projects. Direction requirement: Away from residential properties and streets. Enforced by: Department of Planning and Zoning. Code chapter: Annapolis City Code Ch. 21.62.
Site plans that exceed the three foot-candle limit or aim fixtures toward homes get rejected or sent back for redesign by Planning and Zoning before any permit issues.
Dark Sky Rules
New development in Annapolis must aim parking lot lighting away from homes and public streets and keep it under three foot-candles at the lot line under the city's site design standards.
Key details: Applies to: off-street parking area lighting. Foot-candle cap: 3 at the lot line. Trigger: site design plan approval. Reviewed by: Planning and Zoning Department. Code chapter: 21.62, Site Design Standards.
Lighting plans that don't meet the shielding-and-nuisance direction or the three-foot-candle cap get rejected at site design plan review by the Planning and Zoning Department; the project cannot receive site plan approval until fixtures are corrected.
The Bottom Line
Annapolis's outdoor lighting rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Annapolis is broadly strict or permissive.
Keep in mind that Annapolis can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.