Outdoor Lighting in Shreveport, LA (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Shreveport, Louisiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Shreveport has adopted no dark-sky ordinance, no International Dark-Sky Association standard and no lamp color-temperature ceiling. Unified Development Code Section 7.2 still delivers much of the same effect through cutoff angles, luminaire height caps and a ban on high-intensity beams.
No Dark-Sky Ordinance, But Real Cutoff and Height Limits
Some RestrictionsShreveport Unified Development Code § 7.2.C (Supp. No. 19)
To be considered a cut off luminaire, the cut off angle must be 75 degrees or less. The maximum total height of a cut off luminaire, either freestanding or attached to a structure, is 25 feet. Any luminaire greater than 25 feet in total height requires a variance.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Shreveport draws a hard numeric line on spillover: the maximum allowable footcandle at any lot line is one footcandle, and no glare onto adjacent properties is permitted. Non-residential and multi-family projects must prove it with a photometric plan.
One Footcandle at the Lot Line, and No Glare
Some RestrictionsShreveport Unified Development Code § 7.2.B (Supp. No. 19)
The maximum allowable footcandle at any lot line is one footcandle. When additional security lighting is required for security reasons in excess of the footcandle limit imposed by item 1 above, additional lighting may be allowed based on evidence for the need for additional security through site plan review. No glare onto adjacent properties is permitted.
Billboard Lighting
Billboard lighting in Shreveport is tightly numeric. UDC Section 9.8.E requires every electronic billboard to run a dimmer and a photocell that reads ambient light automatically, and it caps brightness at 6,000 nits in daylight and 500 nits from dusk to dawn, measured straight off the sign face.
Shreveport Caps Electronic Billboard Light at 6,000 Nits
Some RestrictionsShreveport Unified Development Code § 9.8.E.8-10 (Billboard Design - Illumination Standards)
8.Billboards may be illuminated, subject to the following restrictions:a.No revolving or rotating beam or beacon of light that simulates any emergency light or device is permitted as part of any billboard. Flashing devices are prohibited. However, illuminated signs that indicate customary public service as time, date, temperature, or other similar information are permitted.b.External lighting, ...