Outdoor Lighting in Indianapolis, IN (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Indianapolis, Indiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Indianapolis-Marion County's zoning code requires any exterior light source over 900 lumens, brighter than a 60-watt incandescent bulb, to sit inside a full cutoff IESNA fixture angled no more than 90 degrees, so the bulb itself stays hidden from view. The rule reaches every zoning district countywide, caps residential light poles at 20 feet, and bans hazy low-CRI high-pressure sodium fixtures in Dwelling and Mixed-Use Districts.
Indianapolis Full-Cutoff Lighting Shielding Rule
Some RestrictionsZoning Ordinance of Indianapolis-Marion County, Chapter 744, Sec. 744-604.B (see also .D, .H)
B.All light sources or lamps that emit more than 900 lumens (13-watt compact fluorescent or 60-watt incandescent) shall be concealed or shielded with an Illuminations Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) full cutoff light fixture with an angle not exceeding 90 degrees to minimize the potential for glare and unnecessary diffusion on adjacent property. ... D.The maximum height of any ligh...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Indianapolis-Marion County zoning limits how much light can spill onto a neighbor's land: Table 744-604-1 caps illumination at 1.0 foot-candle at any non-right-of-way property line for every use type, residential included, and lets commercial and mixed uses run brighter, up to 2.0 foot-candles, only at the right-of-way. Applicants may exceed those levels only by citing the IESNA Lighting Handbook.
Indianapolis Caps Light Spill at Property Line
Some RestrictionsZoning Ordinance of Indianapolis-Marion County, Chapter 744, Sec. 744-604.A, Table 744-604-1
A.Where exterior lighting is provided, lighting levels for all areas and shall be designed and located so that the illumination measured in foot-candles at grade level shall comply with the standards in the following table unless the applicant requests an alternative lighting level for a specific area and supports that request with information that the requested lighting level is consistent wit...
Billboard Lighting
Off-premises billboards in Indianapolis-Marion County may not use flashing, intermittent or moving lights, and may not carry animated or moving images, under Sec. 744-911(A)(7)-(8). The same flashing, animation and rotating-element bans apply a second time to any billboard sitting within 660 feet of a freeway or expressway right-of-way.
Indianapolis Bans Flashing Billboard Lights
Heavy RestrictionsThe Zoning Ordinance of Indianapolis-Marion County, Chapter 744, Sec. 744-911(A)(7)-(8); see also Sec. 744-911(B)(2)(a)-(c)
7.Flashing, intermittent or moving lights. No advertising sign shall be permitted which contains, includes, or is illuminated by a flashing, intermittent or moving light or lights.8.Animation. No advertising sign shall be permitted which has animated or moving images. ... a.Flashing, intermittent or moving lights. No sign shall be permitted which contains, includes, or is illuminated by a flash...