Outdoor Lighting in Appleton, WI (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Appleton, Wisconsin, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Appleton requires all exterior lighting to use full cutoff fixtures directed downward and away from neighboring property, with a lighting plan and photometric calculations reviewed before any building permit is issued.
Appleton Full Cutoff Outdoor Lighting Rule
Some RestrictionsAppleton Municipal Code Sec. 23-53(c)(1)
(1) All exterior lighting shall be of full cutoff design and directed downward and away from adjoining property, with luminaries shielded to prevent unnecessary glare as identified in the graphic on the next page.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Appleton caps light spilling onto neighboring property at 0.20 foot-candles for residential and most institutional districts and 0.50 foot-candles for commercial and industrial districts, measured at the property line.
Appleton Light Trespass Limits by District
Some RestrictionsAppleton Municipal Code Sec. 23-53(g)
(g) Light trespass. All areas containing outdoor lighting (except public street lighting) shall limit light trespass onto adjacent property, when measured at any point along a property line, to the requirements set forth below... District Adjoining Subject Property / Maximum Light Spillage to Adjoining Lots Measured in Foot-candles: AG, R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-2, R-3, P-I, NC, C-O, TND: 0.20. C-1, ...
Billboard Lighting
Appleton bans off-premises billboards outright, so its sign-lighting standard governs the largest advertising displays the city does allow: on-premises ground signs and freeway-oriented signs. City Code § 23-528 lets any sign be lit internally or by an external fixture, but forbids positioning that light so it shines into vehicle traffic or an adjacent residential use.
Appleton Sign and Billboard Lighting Rules
Light RestrictionsAppleton Municipal Code § 23-528
Sec. 23-528. Sign lighting. Signage may be internally lighted or may have external illumination mounted on the sign, building, or ground. However, no external light source shall be positioned as to interfere or be seen by vehicular traffic or adjacent residential uses.
Looking for Outagamie County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Appleton city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Outagamie County →