Outdoor Lighting in Durham, NC (2026)
2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Durham, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Durham's UDO requires outdoor accent lighting, fixtures that highlight architecture, landscaping or artwork on nonresidential and multifamily sites, to be located, aimed or shielded so light does not spill into the night sky. The rule sits alongside the ordinance's full cut-off and glare standards in Sec. 7.4.3 and applies wherever the development lighting standards themselves apply.
Durham Accent Lighting Dark-Sky Shielding Rule
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO Sec. 7.4.3, Standards (Accent Lighting)
Lighting fixtures used to accent architectural features, landscaping or art shall be located, aimed or shielded to minimize light spill into the night sky.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Durham's UDO caps outdoor light at the property line of a nonresidential or multifamily development: 0.5 foot-candles next to a residential zoning district, and 5.0 foot-candles next to a nonresidential district or a street. Full cut-off fixtures top out at 30 feet, or 15 feet within 50 feet of a residential property line, and glare cast onto neighbors is barred.
Durham NC Light Trespass: Property Line Limits
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO Sec. 7.4.3.A, B, C, F (Outdoor Lighting Standards)
A . All site lighting shall be designed so that the level of illumination as measured in foot-candles (fc) at all points meets the standards in the table below with minimum and maximum levels measured on the pavement within the lighted area. ... B . The maximum illumination permitted at the edge of a property line shall be as set forth below. ... to a residential zoning district shall be 0.5 fo...
Looking for Durham County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Durham city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Durham County →