Outdoor Lighting in Waco, TX (2026)
3 verified outdoor lighting rules for Waco, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Within Waco's Brazos River Corridor overlay district, Section 28-809.1(e) requires that all outdoor lighting be shielded or constructed so no direct light escapes upward past the fixture's 90-degree cutoff angle, either from the lamp itself or from the fixture housing, a full-cutoff standard aimed at protecting the corridor's night sky and neighboring properties from glare.
Waco Brazos River Corridor Lighting Shielding Rule
Some RestrictionsWaco, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 28-809.1(e)
Lighting shall be shielded or constructed so that no direct light is emitted upward, either directly from the lamp or indirectly from the fixture, above the 90° cutoff angle of the fixture.
Light Trespass & Shielding
In the Brazos River Corridor overlay, Section 28-809.1(c) caps how much light a commercial or industrial property can throw onto a neighbor's land, measured with a light meter held vertically at the property line: 0.5 footcandles for single-family, two-family, or multi-family residential neighbors, 3.0 footcandles for non-residential neighbors, and 5.0 footcandles for light industrial neighbors.
Waco Brazos River Corridor Light Trespass Footcandle Limits
Some RestrictionsWaco, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 28-809.1(c)
The limits of illumination on neighboring property from an establishment shall be by zoning of the neighborhood property. Maximum footcandle levels measured by holding a light meter in a vertical position at the neighboring property line shall not exceed standards specified by ordinance. The zoning standards are as follows:(1)Single-family and two-family residential - 0.5 footcandles.(2)Multipl...
Billboard Lighting
Waco regulates the illumination of digital off-premises signs (electronic billboards) under Sec. 28-1077 of the zoning code. Each message must hold for at least eight seconds, dim automatically with ambient light, and freeze on malfunction. If a sign's glare impairs drivers, the owner has 12 hours after an Inspection Services request to reduce its intensity, and flashing or animated displays are banned outright.
Waco Digital Billboard Lighting Standards
Some RestrictionsWaco, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 28-1077
(b)Each message on a digital off-premises sign shall be displayed for at least eight seconds and a change of message shall be accomplished within two seconds. ... (d)Safety. A digital off-premises sign shall:(1)Contain a default mechanism that freezes the sign in one position if a malfunction occurs; and(2)Automatically adjust the intensity of its display according to natural ambient light cond...