Outdoor Lighting in Dallas, TX (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Dallas, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Dallas requires every outside light fixture in the city to pair its light source with a reflector so the beam stays controlled and is never aimed across a property line. Sec. 51A-6.104(b) of the Dallas Development Code makes this a citywide environmental performance standard, enforced the same way as the code's noise and vibration limits under Chapter 51A.
Dallas Outdoor Lights Must Have Shielded Beams
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 51A-6.104(b)
(b) Outside lights must be made up of a light source and reflector so that acting together, the light beam is controlled and not directed across a property line. (Ord. Nos. 19455; 19995)
Light Trespass & Shielding
Dallas prohibits any use with a visible light source that produces glare or direct illumination crossing a property line at a level that creates a nuisance or detracts from a neighbor's use of their land. Sec. 51A-6.104(a) of the Dallas Development Code is a performance standard, not a numeric footcandle table, enforced under the same citywide mechanism as the rest of Chapter 51A.
Dallas Bans Glare That Crosses Property Lines
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 51A-6.104(a)
(a) A person shall not conduct a use that has a visible source of illumination that produces glare or direct illumination across a property line of an intensity that creates a nuisance or detracts from the use or enjoyment of adjacent property. (Ord. Nos. 19455; 19995)
Billboard Lighting
Dallas limits how bright an illuminated sign, including a billboard-style detached non-premise sign, may be and bans the flashing, dimming, or apparent-motion effects that used to make signs read like video billboards. Sec. 51A-7.303(a)-(b) of the Dallas Development Code sets numeric footlambert ceilings and message-change timing rules for every illuminated sign in the city's business zoning districts.
Dallas Caps Illuminated Sign Brightness and Flashing
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 51A-7.303(a)-(b)
(a) No illuminated sign which has an effective area of 400 square feet or less shall have a luminance greater than 300 footlamberts, nor shall any such sign have a luminance greater than 300 footlamberts for any portion of the sign within a circle two feet in diameter. No illuminated sign which has an effective area greater than 400 square feet shall have a luminance greater than 200 footlamb...
Looking for Dallas County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Dallas city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Dallas County →