Outdoor Lighting in Columbia, MO (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Columbia, Missouri, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Any outdoor light in Columbia, Missouri brighter than 900 lumens, about a 60-watt bulb, must use an IESNA full cutoff fixture aimed no more than 90 degrees, to cut glare and skyglow.
Full Cutoff Fixture Rule in Columbia, Missouri
Some RestrictionsColumbia Code of Ordinances § 29-4.5(d)(5)
Any light source or lamp that emits more than nine hundred (900) lumens (13 watt compact fluorescent or 60 watt incandescent) shall be concealed or shielded with an IESNA full cut-off style fixture with an angle not exceeding 90 degrees to minimize the potential for glare and unnecessary diffusion on adjacent property. Table 4.5-1: Color Rendering Index Range of Lamps Lamp Type Color Renderin...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Columbia, Missouri requires every security light to be shielded and aimed so illumination stays on the intended area: no light above horizontal, no glare visible from neighboring roads or yards, and general floodlights are banned outright.
Security Light Shielding Rules in Columbia, Missouri
Some RestrictionsColumbia Code of Ordinances § 29-4.5(n)
All security lighting fixtures shall be shielded and aimed so that illumination is directed only to the designated area and not cast on other areas. Lighting shall not be directed above a horizontal plane through the top of the lighting fixture, and the fixture shall include shields that prevent the light source or lens from being visible from adjacent roadways and properties. The use of genera...
Billboard Lighting
Columbia, Missouri allows floodlights and gooseneck reflectors on billboards only if the light is directed onto the sign face and shielded so no beam reaches nearby residences or the interstate travel lanes in Boone County.
Columbia, MO Billboard Lighting Shielding Rule
Some RestrictionsColumbia Code of Ordinances § 29-4.8(e)(2)(L)
External lighting of billboards, such as floodlights, thin line and gooseneck reflectors are permitted, provided the light source is directed upon the face of the sign and is effectively shielded so as to prevent beams or rays of light from being directed toward any residential structure or into any portion of the main traveled way of the interstate, freeway, or highway, and the lights are not ...
Looking for Boone County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Columbia city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Boone County →