Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

Outdoor Lighting in Plainfield, NJ (2026)

2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Plainfield, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Dark Sky Rules

In the City of Plainfield, outdoor lighting on development sites is controlled through Chapter 17 site plan review. Section 17:11-12 requires street lighting to be nonglare and focused downward, makes light shielding subject to site plan approval, bars light that distracts drivers, and caps pole mounting heights at 25, 15 and 12 feet depending on the setting.

Plainfield Outdoor Lighting and Sky Glow Rules

Some Restrictions

Plainfield Municipal Code § 17:11-12

4. All lighting shall provide for nonglare lights focused downward. ... C. Off-Premises Effects. Any other outdoor lighting such as building and sidewalk illumination, driveways with no adjacent parking, the lighting of signs and ornamental lighting, shall be shown on the lighting plan in sufficient detail to allow a determination of the effects upon adjacent properties, traffic safety and over...

Light Trespass & Shielding

In the City of Plainfield, New Jersey, outdoor lighting cannot shine into building windows, or onto streets and driveways so as to distract driver vision, and wall mounted fixtures must face into the site, not toward neighbors. Section 17:11-12 makes light intensity and shielding subject to site plan approval.

Plainfield NJ Outdoor Lighting and Light Spill Rules

Some Restrictions

Plainfield Municipal Code § 17:11-12

2. Lighting shall be so designed to avoid the creation of hazards to motorists and pedestrians or nuisance to adjoining property owners or residents. ... C. Off-Premises Effects. Any other outdoor lighting such as building and sidewalk illumination, driveways with no adjacent parking, the lighting of signs and ornamental lighting, shall be shown on the lighting plan in sufficient detail to allo...

Looking for Union County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Plainfield city rules.

Outdoor Lighting in Union County →