Outdoor Lighting in Louisville, KY (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Louisville, Kentucky, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Louisville Metro caps light trespass at property lines and requires bright fixtures to be fully shielded under the Land Development Code.
Louisville Metro Outdoor Lighting Shielding
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro Land Development Code, Ch. 4 Part 1, § 4.1.3.B.2.c, B.11
All fixtures in all form districts that emit more than 3,500 lumens shall be fully-shielded luminaires. ... The level of lighting resultant from luminaires installed on a subject site shall not exceed 0.25 footcandles at any property border adjoining a low- to medium-density residentially zoned or used ... property border, and .5 footcandles on any high–density residentially zoned or used ... p...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Louisville Metro caps spillover light at 0.25 footcandles on low- to medium-density residential borders and 0.5 footcandles on high-density or right-of-way borders.
Louisville Light Trespass Onto Neighbors
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro Land Development Code, Ch. 4 Part 1, § 4.1.3(B)(11)
The level of lighting resultant from luminaires installed on a subject site shall not exceed 0.25 footcandles at any property border adjoining a low- to medium-density residentially zoned or used ... property border, and .5 footcandles on any high-density residentially zoned or used ... property border, or public right of way parcel of land. ... any lighting shall be arranged so as not to shine...
Billboard Lighting
Louisville Metro allows illuminated billboards up to 330 square feet only along major or minor arterial highways in commercial and industrial districts, with tighter setbacks, spacing, and height limits than unlit billboards under the Land Development Code.
Louisville Billboard Lighting Rules
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro Land Development Code, Ch. 4 Part 3, § 4.3.12(B) (Off-premises Signage)
B. Illuminated Outdoor Advertising Signs - An illuminated or non-illuminated outdoor advertising sign of less than three hundred thirty (330) square feet shall be allowed if: 1. Located in a C-1, C-2, C-M, M-1, M-2 or M-3 District... 9. Constructed so the highest point of the sign (including embellishments shall not exceed forty (40) feet above the ground, except that for signs located in the C...