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Outdoor Lighting

Midland's Outdoor Lighting: The Rules That Matter

By CityRuleLookup Editorial Team

Every city handles outdoor lighting a little differently. In Midland, Texas, there are 2 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Light Trespass & Shielding

Midland requires exterior light sources on private property to be fully shielded from view at the lot line, with the shielding height depending on whether the neighboring property is residential.

Key details: Shielding near residential lots: Full shield at 3 ft above grade. Shielding elsewhere: Full shield at 6 ft above grade. Fixture type required: LED luminaires only. Enforcing office: Building Official.

Enforced as a zoning violation under Sec. 1-3-1: fines up to $2,000, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense; the Building Official can require a revised lighting plan.

Dark Sky Rules

Midland's Zoning Ordinance names preserving the night sky as a lighting purpose and requires shielded, LED-only fixtures with capped light spill onto neighboring residential property.

Key details: Light spill limit (residential line): 1/4 foot-candle. Fixture type: LED only, no metal halide. Shielding height: 3 ft above grade (nonres.). Banned fixtures: Cobra-head dished/drop lenses.

Installing unshielded, non-LED, or 'cobra head' outdoor lighting, or lighting that exceeds the one-quarter foot-candle spill limit at a residential line, violates Sec. 11-1-6.03 and requires a compliance lighting plan filed with the Building Official.

The Bottom Line

Midland'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 Midland is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Midland's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.