Outdoor Lighting in Nashville, TN

If you live in Nashville or are thinking about moving there, outdoor lighting are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Nashville has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of outdoor lighting, and some of them might surprise you.

Light Trespass & Shielding

Metro Nashville requires all outdoor lighting, including residential security floodlights, to be full cutoff and shielded so light stays on the property, capping spill at adjacent residential lines at 0.5 foot-candles.

Key details: Rule: Full cutoff required for covered lighting. Trespass limit: 0.5 foot-candle max at residential line. Covers: Includes freestanding residential security floodlights. Enforcement: Dept. of Codes Administration. Citation: Metro Code § 17.28.100.

Violations are enforced by the Department of Codes Administration and punishable under Metro Code Chapter 17.40, Article XIII; inspectors can order remedial fixes within 30 days at the owner's expense.

Billboard Lighting

Metro Nashville caps billboard brightness at 200 foot-lamberts for internally lit signs or 75 footcandles for indirect lighting, and requires billboards within 500 feet of residential zoning to go dark from midnight to 6 a.m.

Key details: Internal illumination cap: 200 foot-lamberts. Indirect illumination cap: 75 footcandles. Residential curfew radius: 500 feet. Curfew hours: 12:00 a.m.–6:00 a.m.. Governing chapter: Metro Code Title 17, Ch. 17.32.

Illegal illumination is a zoning violation handled through Metro's sign-permit and code enforcement process, not a standalone criminal fine: expect a correction order to reduce brightness or shut off the sign during curfew hours, with the permit at risk for repeat noncompliance.

Dark Sky Rules

Metro Nashville requires full cutoff outdoor light fixtures and lets commercial developers meet International Dark-Sky Association model lighting standards instead of the code's own foot-candle and lumen caps.

Key details: Full cutoff mandate: All regulated fixtures must be full cutoff. Dark-sky alternative: IDA June 2011 model lighting ordinance allowed. Uplighting: Banned except for flags or symbols. Residential exemption: Most rules skip single-family and duplex lots. Jurisdiction: Metro zoning only, not six satellite cities.

Enforced by the department of codes administration under Metropolitan Code § 17.28.100.G; violations are punishable under Chapter 17.40, Article XIII, and post-installation inspections can require remedial action within 30 days.

The Bottom Line

Nashville'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 Nashville is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Nashville 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.