Outdoor Lighting in Southfield, MI (2026)
2 verified outdoor lighting rules for Southfield, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
In the City of Southfield, every exterior light fixture, residential or commercial, must be shielded downward under City Code § 5.22-4-1. Fixtures visible from an adjacent street must be indirect or use a full cut-off shield-type design, and light may not spill past the property line. Pole- and building-mounted fixtures are capped at 20 feet, dropping to 15 feet where a site borders a residential area.
Southfield Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules
Some RestrictionsSouthfield City Code § 5.22-4-1(1)(b), (e)-(f)
(b)Lighting, whether pole-mounted or building-mounted, shall be placed and shielded downward so as to direct the light onto the site and away from adjacent properties. Lighting shall be shielded so that it does not cause glare for motorists. ... (e)All lighting potentially visible from an adjacent street, except pedestrian-oriented bollard lighting less than forty-two (42) inches, shall be indi...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Southfield caps how much light can cross onto a neighbor's land. City Code § 5.22-4-1(1)(c) limits illumination at the property line to 0.1 footcandle where a site adjoins a residential zone or use, and to 0.5 footcandle between non-residential neighbors, with an absolute ceiling of 10 footcandles anywhere on a lit site.
Southfield Light Trespass Footcandle Limits
Some RestrictionsSouthfield City Code § 5.22-4-1(1)(c)-(d)
(c)Exterior site lighting located on any properties (residential or nonresidential) adjacent to residential zones or uses shall be designed and maintained such that illumination levels do not exceed 0.1 footcandle along property lines. Lighting for nonresidential uses adjacent to nonresidential properties shall be designed and maintained such that illumination levels do not exceed 0.5 footcandl...
Looking for Oakland County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Southfield city rules.
Outdoor Lighting in Oakland County →