Outdoor Lighting in Philadelphia, PA (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Philadelphia zoning requires exterior lighting on new commercial, multifamily, and parking-lot installations to be shielded so the light source is not visible from residential districts, with a minimum efficiency standard.
Philadelphia Outdoor Lighting Must Be Shielded
Some RestrictionsPhiladelphia Code § 14-707(4)(b)-(c)
All light sources shall be shielded to prevent glare and spillover beyond the property line. All light sources shall be designed, located, and installed so that the light source is not visible from any Residential district. ... All exterior lighting fixtures shall produce at least 80 lumens per watt of energy consumed, as documented by manufacturer's specifications or the results of an independ...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Philadelphia zoning requires shielded, full-cut-off exterior lighting on commercial and multi-family sites so no light source or glare crosses onto residential property.
Philadelphia Outdoor Lighting Standards
Some RestrictionsPhiladelphia Code § 14-707
All light sources shall be shielded to prevent glare and spillover beyond the property line. All light sources shall be designed, located, and installed so that the light source is not visible from any Residential district... All exterior lighting fixtures shall produce at least 80 lumens per watt of energy consumed... Within any Residential district, the maximum permitted height of light poles...
Billboard Lighting
Digital billboards in Philadelphia must stay under 6,500 nits by day, 450 nits at night, and dim automatically to match ambient light.
Digital Billboard Brightness Capped in Philly
Some RestrictionsPhiladelphia Code § 14-905(8)(b)
During daylight hours luminance of a digital billboard shall be no greater than 6,500 nits. At all other times, luminance of a digital billboard shall be no greater than 450 nits. In addition, digital billboards shall not operate at brightness levels of more than 0.3 foot candles above ambient light... Automatic dimming is required to keep luminance within permitted levels at all times.