Outdoor Lighting in Portsmouth, VA (2026)
2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Portsmouth, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Portsmouth caps outdoor light fixture height at 16 feet in residential districts and 30 feet in commercial, mixed-use, and industrial districts, and requires fixtures over 60 watts or 100 lumens to use downward-directed, full cut-off lenses or hoods.
Portsmouth Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth, VA Zoning Ordinance Sec. 40.2-306(D)(2)-(3)
(2)Maximum Lighting Height.(a)Except for outdoor sports fields or performance areas, the height of outdoor lighting, whether mounted on poles or walls or by other means, shall be no greater than 16 feet in residential districts and no greater than 30 feet in commercial and mixed-use districts...(3)Shielding.(a)Except as specified in subsection (1), exterior light fixtures in excess of 60 watts ...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Portsmouth caps light spilling onto a neighboring lot line at 0.5 foot-candles next to residential uses, 1.0 next to public and institutional uses, and 2.0 next to commercial, mixed-use, or parking-lot uses.
Portsmouth Lot-Line Light Trespass Limits
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth, VA Zoning Ordinance Sec. 40.2-306(D)(4) and Table 40.2-306
(4)Maximum Illumination Levels. All outdoor lighting shall be designed and located so that the maximum illumination measured in foot-candles at ground level at a lot line shall not exceed the standards in Table 40.2-306 Maximum Illumination Levels... TYPE OF USE / MAXIMUM ILLUMINATION AT LOT LINE (FOOT-CANDLES): Residential Use 0.5; Public and Institutional Use 1.0; Commercial or Mixed Use 2.0.