Outdoor Lighting in Saint Paul, MN (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Saint Paul, Minnesota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Saint Paul's zoning code requires all outdoor lighting citywide, including parking lot lighting, to be shielded to cut glare and aimed away from nearby residential districts, with a hard cap of 3 footcandles measured at the residential district boundary.
Saint Paul Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rule
Some RestrictionsSaint Paul Legislative Code Sec. 63.116(a)
Sec. 63.116. - Exterior lighting. (a)All outdoor lighting in all use districts, including off-street parking facilities, shall be shielded to reduce glare and shall be so arranged as to reflect lights away from all adjacent residential districts or adjacent residences in such a way as not to exceed three (3) footcandles measured at the residence district boundary.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Saint Paul requires exterior building-illumination lighting, the kind typically used for security floodlights, to be placed and shielded so it doesn't interfere with the vision of people on adjacent highways or property.
Saint Paul Building Light Shielding Rule
Some RestrictionsSaint Paul Legislative Code Sec. 63.116(b)
Sec. 63.116. - Exterior lighting. (b)All lighting in all districts used for the external illumination of buildings shall be placed and shielded so as not to interfere with the vision of persons on adjacent highways or adjacent property.
Billboard Lighting
Digital billboards and other dynamic-display signs in Saint Paul cannot exceed 0.3 footcandles above ambient light measured from 50 feet away, and must have an automatic dimmer that keeps brightness in compliance at all times.
Saint Paul Digital Billboard Brightness Cap
Some RestrictionsSaint Paul Zoning Code Sec. 64.405(c) (Signs with Dynamic Display -- Illumination and Brightness)
No sign with dynamic display may exceed a maximum illumination of 0.3 foot candles above ambient light level as measured from fifty (50) feet from the sign's face. All signs with dynamic display having illumination by means other than natural light must be equipped with an automatic dimmer control or other mechanism that automatically controls the sign's brightness to comply with this requirement.
Looking for Ramsey County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Saint Paul city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Ramsey County →