Outdoor Lighting in Norman, OK (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Norman, Oklahoma, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Since July 22, 2011, every new commercial, industrial, institutional, or multifamily development in Norman must use full cut-off outdoor light fixtures mounted horizontally so no light escapes upward, under NCC 36-549. Single-family and two-family residential lighting is exempt, as are athletic fields, holiday lights, and interior courtyard fixtures.
Norman Full Cut-Off Outdoor Lighting Rule
Some RestrictionsNorman City Code (NCC) § 36-549
Purpose and intent. It is the intent of this section to define practical and effective measures by which the obtrusive aspects of commercial outdoor light usage can be minimized, while preserving safety, security, and the night-time use and enjoyment of property... Building construction. For all public or private commercial, industrial, institutional, and multifamily land uses, developments, bu...
Light Trespass & Shielding
NCC 36-549 caps light spilling onto neighboring single- or two-family property at 0.2 footcandles measured at the property line, with permanent shielding required on pole-mounted fixtures to keep it that way. Light poles within 25 feet of a residential line are also capped at 20 feet tall.
Norman 0.2 Footcandle Light Trespass Limit
Some RestrictionsNorman City Code (NCC) § 36-549
Pole mounted lights. The maximum light level at any point on a property line of a parcel zoned or used for single- or two-family dwellings, located either adjacent to or across the street from the subject property, shall not exceed 0.2 footcandles. Shielding must be permanently installed to ensure continued compliance with this requirement. Parking lots should be illuminated to a minimum level ...
Billboard Lighting
Norman's off-premises sign standards, NCC 28-601, ban billboard lighting that glares into traffic or obscures a traffic signal. Digital billboards face their own brightness ceiling: no more than 300 NITs after dark, rising to 500 NITs if the site abuts a lit commercial or industrial property, and up to 5,000 NITs during the day, with each message held at least eight seconds.
Norman's Off-Premises Billboard Lighting Limits
Some RestrictionsNorman City Code (NCC) § 28-601
Flashing, intermittent or moving light or lights are prohibited except for time, temperature and date signs, and electronic digital signs as regulated by this chapter. An off-premises sign shall not be illuminated so that it interferes with the effectiveness or obscures an official traffic sign, device or signal; neither shall it be permitted to have beams or rays directed at any portion of the...