Outdoor Lighting in Manitou Springs, CO (2026)
2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Manitou Springs, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Manitou Springs requires all exterior fixtures on a Development Plan application to be full cutoff and capped at a 3,000 kelvin color-temperature rating to achieve dark sky compliance. Lighting must also shut off automatically when daylight is sufficient, and existing fixtures must be brought into compliance when a property files a new Development Plan.
Manitou Springs Dark Sky Lighting Standards
Some RestrictionsManitou Springs Municipal Code § 18.03.4.4.B, .E, .F
B.All fixtures must be full cutoff. Existing bulbs being replaced with LEDs need to provide shielding to direct light downward and conceal the light source. ... E.The color-temperature rating of fixture lamps shall not exceed three thousand (3,000) kelvin in order to achieve dark sky compliance. ... F.All light fixtures shall employ automatic lighting controls that extinguish exterior lighting ...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Manitou Springs limits how much light a property can cast onto its neighbors: on-site illumination cannot exceed 10 footcandles, and light measured 20 feet beyond the property line can never exceed 0.1 footcandles from that on-site lighting, a standard written directly into the exterior lighting chapter's stated purpose of reducing light trespass.
Manitou Springs Light Trespass Limits
Some RestrictionsManitou Springs Municipal Code § 18.03.4.1.A, § 18.03.4.4.C, .D
A.The intent of these standards is to increase safety, reduce crime, minimize the negative impacts of adverse offsite impacts including light trespass and glare on surrounding uses, improve views of the night sky, reduce impact to wildlife habitat, and generally conserve energy. ... C.Maximum on-site footcandles shall not exceed ten footcandles. In areas adjacent to buildings, said ten footcand...
Looking for El Paso County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Manitou Springs city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in El Paso County →