Outdoor Lighting in Plano, TX (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Plano, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Plano caps how much light can spill onto neighboring property to control sky glow: Sec. 6-474(d) ties outdoor fixtures to the footcandle and luminance tables in Sec. 6-469(a)(1), which range from 0.25 footcandles at single-family lot lines up to 5.0 footcandles in light-industrial districts.
Plano Outdoor Sky Glow Illumination Limits
Some RestrictionsPlano Code of Ordinances §§ 6-474(d), 6-469(a)(1)
(d)Sky glow external outdoor lights shall be constructed and installed in a manner so as to conform with the requirements in subsection 6-469 (a)(1). ... (a)Light is presumed to be unreasonable and declared a light nuisance if:(1)The illumination or luminance is in excess of the limitations... Table 1: Illumination Limits — Single-family and two-family residential districts 0.25 0.25; Multiple-...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Plano treats outdoor security lighting as "Class II" lighting under Sec. 6-466, and Table 3 in Sec. 6-469(a)(1) requires those fixtures, LPS, HPS, metal halide, and LED lamps alike, to be fully shielded, while Sec. 6-474(f) bars aiming a floodlight so its beam hits a viewer's eye at the property line.
Plano Security Light Shielding & Aiming Rules
Some RestrictionsPlano Code of Ordinances §§ 6-469(a)(1) Table 3, 6-474(f)
Class II lighting means lighting used outdoors where color rendition is not important, including, but not limited to, illumination for walkways, roadways, equipment yards, parking areas, and outdoor security. ... Table 3: Shielding Requirements — Low pressure sodium (LPS): Fully shielded; High pressure sodium (HPS): Fully shielded; Metal halide: Fully shielded; Mercury vapor: Prohibited; Light ...
Billboard Lighting
Off-site advertising displays and billboards in Plano can only run their lights from dusk to 11:00 p.m. under Sec. 6-474(h)(2), unless the fixture is fully shielded and points downward from the horizontal plane, in which case the hour cutoff doesn't apply.
Plano Billboard Lighting Hours & Shielding
Some RestrictionsPlano Code of Ordinances § 6-474(b), (g), (h)(2)
(b)Outdoor advertising, displays, and signs not exclusively illuminated internally, may only utilize illuminating devices mounted on the top and pointing downward on the advertising display structure. All such installations shall comply with all other provisions of this article. ... (h)Class I lighting used for illumination of:...(2)Off-site advertising displays and billboards or signs may be o...
Looking for Collin County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Plano city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Collin County →