Orem's Outdoor Lighting: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles outdoor lighting a little differently. In Orem, Utah, there are 3 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.

Billboard Lighting

Orem caps electronic message center (EMC) sign brightness, the illuminated displays allowed on legal billboards, at 0.3 lumens above ambient light. EMC signs need a City sign permit, cannot flash, but may show motion. EMCs mounted on a billboard are banned entirely on the east side of Interstate 15 within 500 feet of the freeway.

Key details: Brightness cap: 0.3 lumens above ambient light. Permit: Required for every EMC sign. Flashing: Prohibited; motion/scrolling allowed. I-15 exclusion: No EMC within 500 ft east side. Max fine: $750 per day, Sec. 14-1-7.

Operating or installing a sign, including an EMC display, without the required permit or over the brightness cap is an infraction under Section 14-1-7, punishable by a fine of up to $750, with each day of the violation counted as a separate offense. An EMC located where the ordinance flatly bans it, such as on a billboard within 500 feet of I-15's east side, can be ordered removed, and an unlawfully placed sign on public property is subject to confiscation under Section 14-2-6.

Dark Sky Rules

In Orem's PD-21 Zone (Student Housing Village at 1200 South Geneva Road), every development site plan must include a lighting plan, and city code spells out the fixtures: decorative, dark-sky sensitive streetlights only, spaced every 50 feet along private streets and pathways, with no cobra-style light standards allowed anywhere in the development.

Key details: Zone: PD-21, Student Housing Village, Geneva Road. Fixture rule: Dark-sky sensitive, decorative streetlights only. Banned fixture: Cobra-style light standards. Spacing: Light standard every 50 feet. Approval body: Planning Commission (site plan).

Section 22-11-33 makes it clear that every PD-21 development must conform to its approved site plan, lighting plan included. The code states: 'Failure to complete or maintain a PD-21 development in accordance with this Chapter and with the approved site plan shall be a violation of the terms of this Chapter.' The City may pursue criminal or civil legal proceedings against any person, firm, or corporation, whether acting as principal, agent, property owner, lessee, tenant, or employee, for failing to build or maintain the development, including its lighting, as approved.

Light Trespass & Shielding

Orem City Code 22-9-9(F) requires outdoor lighting in the city's manufacturing, research-and-development, and public-facilities zones to be designed so it does not throw direct glare onto adjoining residential lots. The rule sits in the same subsection block that forces industrial screening fences, bans excess noise and dust at the zone line, and requires paved parking areas.

Key details: Governing section: Orem City Code 22-9-9(F). Zones covered: M1, M2, CM, and BP industrial zones. Standard: Must minimize direct glare onto adjoining residences. Enforcement: City Manager under 22-1-3; officers issue citations. Related buffer rules: 6-ft sight-obscuring fence; noise/dust/odor limit at zone line.

Orem enforces zoning standards, including the outdoor-lighting glare rule, under Section 22-1-3: the City Manager administers and enforces the Zoning Ordinance, and code enforcement personnel working under the Development Services Director are authorized Public Officials who may issue non-criminal citations for violations. Where a lighting installation, once built or operated, violates Section 22-9-9(F), the City or any property owner may also seek an injunction, abatement order, or mandamus action to force compliance.

The Bottom Line

Orem'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 Orem is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Orem 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.