Outdoor Lighting in Chapel Hill, NC (2026)
2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Chapel Hill, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Chapel Hill controls sky glow and glare by tying outdoor light pole height to fixture shielding under Land Use Management Ordinance Sec. 5.11.2. A non-cutoff fixture, one that throws light sideways and upward, tops out at 15 feet. A full cutoff fixture, shielded so light aims only downward, can rise to 35 feet. Sports and athletic field lighting is exempt from both caps.
Chapel Hill Outdoor Lighting Height Limits
Some RestrictionsChapel Hill Land Use Management Ordinance § 5.11.2
Outdoor lighting, except sports and athletic field lighting, shall be mounted at heights no greater than fifteen (15) feet for non-cutoff lights; and no greater than thirty-five (35) feet for full cutoff lights.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Chapel Hill limits how much extra light a development can throw onto a neighbor's land. Land Use Management Ordinance Sec. 5.11.4 caps any increase in illumination on off-site property at 0.3 foot-candles measured at ground level, and where ambient off-site light is already above that level, no further increase from the new development's outdoor lighting is allowed at all.
Chapel Hill Light Trespass Limit
Some RestrictionsChapel Hill Land Use Management Ordinance § 5.11.4
Increases in illumination on off-site property shall not result in lighting levels in excess of 0.3 foot-candles, measured at ground level. Where existing ambient off-site lighting levels are in excess of 0.3 foot-candles, no increase in measurable off-site lighting levels will be allowed as a result of outdoor lighting in the development.
Looking for Orange County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Chapel Hill city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Orange County →