Outdoor Lighting in Brookhaven, NY (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Brookhaven, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Brookhaven requires 'full cutoff' fixtures for streetlights and area lighting to protect the night sky. Code §§ 85-866C and 85-868D mandate full-cutoff luminaires for streetlights and all area exterior lights, while § 85-868G bans unshielded wall packs and floodlights outright.
Brookhaven Full Cutoff Fixture Mandate
Some RestrictionsBrookhaven Code §§ 85-866C, 85-868D, 85-868G
All streetlight luminaires shall be full cutoff, except that a historic-style decorative luminaire may emit up to 2% of its total lumens above the horizontal plane... § 85-868 D. Area exterior lights. All area exterior lights shall be full cutoff luminaires. ... G. Unshielded wall packs and floodlights are prohibited.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Brookhaven caps how much light a property can throw onto its neighbors: Code § 85-867A(2) limits illuminance at a property line adjoining a residential parcel or public right-of-way to 0.05 footcandle, horizontal or vertical, and allows up to 0.1 footcandle between adjacent commercial properties.
Brookhaven Light Trespass Footcandle Limit
Some RestrictionsBrookhaven Code § 85-867A
No luminaire shall be located or concentrated so as to produce glare or direct illumination across the boundary property line, nor shall any such light be of such intensity as to create a nuisance or detract from the use and enjoyment of adjacent property. ... The maximum illuminance at or beyond the property line that adjoins a residential parcel or public right-of-way may not exceed 0.05 foot...
Billboard Lighting
Brookhaven's sign law does not set a billboard-lighting standard because it bans the billboards themselves. Town Code § 57A-22 prohibits construction of any new billboard in every zoning district and required every existing billboard to be dismantled and removed by December 31, 2004, so no permitted billboard structure remains for a lighting rule to attach to.
Brookhaven Bans New Billboard Construction
Heavy RestrictionsBrookhaven Code § 57A-22
B. The construction of new billboards as defined in this chapter is hereby prohibited in all zoning districts. C. All existing billboards as defined in this chapter, whether or not authorized by a certificate of occupancy, certificate of conforming use or certificate of zoning compliance, shall be dismantled and removed from their existing locations on or before December 31, 2004.
Looking for Suffolk County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Brookhaven city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Suffolk County →