Outdoor Lighting in Reading, PA (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Reading, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Reading's zoning code requires all outdoor lighting to be shaded and shielded so it does not glare onto neighbors, caps nighttime spillover onto adjoining lots, limits pole height near homes, and bans upward-aimed spotlights and lasers, enforced under Chapter 600.
Reading PA Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules
Some RestrictionsReading Codified Ordinances § 600-912(A), (B), (D), (K)
A. Lighting (other than streetlights and natural sources) shall be shaded, shielded and directed to prevent the creation of glare or a light intensity that will be nuisance to residents, pedestrians or motorists. B. Spillover. Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., a sign or other illumination utilized on private property shall not cause a spillover of light of an intensity in excess of...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Reading requires off-street parking areas with five or more spaces to be lit for security between sunset and sunrise, but the lighting can't spill onto neighboring properties or shine into drivers' eyes.
Reading Parking Lot Lighting Must Not Spill Onto Neighbors
Some RestrictionsReading Codified Ordinances § 600-1602(M)
All parking areas of five spaces or more shall be adequately illuminated for security purposes between the hours of sunset and sunrise. Lighting shall not spill onto adjacent properties and shall not shine into the eyes of motorists. N. All off-street parking areas for 10 or more vehicles shall be planted with shade trees, which shall be located to maximize the visibility of the trees and ...
Billboard Lighting
Reading's lighting-control ordinance requires new billboard illumination to be mounted at the top of the sign and aimed downward, part of a broader rule shielding all sign and wall lighting from nearby homes.
Reading PA Billboard Lighting Direction Rules
Some RestrictionsReading Codified Ordinances § 600-912.J
Lighting of nonhorizontal surfaces. For lighting of predominantly nonhorizontal surfaces, such building walls and wall signs, lighting fixtures shall be fully shielded and shall be aimed so as to not project light: towards neighboring residences; past the object being illuminated; or skyward. Any lighting of a flag shall use a beam no wider than necessary to illuminate the flag. Any lighting of...
Looking for Berks County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Reading city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Berks County →