Outdoor Lighting in Ada County, ID (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Ada County, Idaho.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Ada County's outdoor-lighting standards regulate glare and up-lighting to protect nighttime skies. Fixtures over 260 lumens must have an opaque top to prevent up-lighting; fixtures at 1,800 lumens or more require a full cut-off shield. Mercury-vapor lamps and skyward lasers are prohibited.
Outdoor Lighting and Dark-Sky Standards in Ada County
Some RestrictionsAda County Code 8-3-8(F)(3)
One Thousand Eight Hundred (1,800) Lumens or More. Light fixtures that have a maximum output of one thousand eight hundred (1,800) lumens or more shall have a 'full cut off shield.'
Light Trespass & Shielding
Ada County limits light spilling onto neighbors. In commercial or industrial settings, the effective zone of light from bright fixtures may not trespass onto abutting residential property. In rural, transitional, and residential districts, higher poles require greater setbacks from the property line.
Light Trespass onto Neighboring Property in Ada County
Some RestrictionsAda County Code 8-3-8(F)(7)(b)(1)
Within a commercial or industrial base district, or a commercial or industrial type use within a rural or transitional base district, the effective zone of light (as documented by the photometric test report) shall not trespass on abutting residential properties. See Figure 8-3-8-2 of this Title. Figure 8-3-8-2 Light Trespass [https://export.amlegal.com/media/b8b6e9a71fb071ff7bb920d2ca3b4203...
Billboard Lighting
Ada County Code 8-3-12(K)(6) lets billboards be illuminated only if they meet the county's general outdoor lighting standards in Section 8-3-8, and it bans flashing or intermittent billboard lighting outright. Those referenced standards require fixtures over 1,800 lumens to carry a full cutoff shield, prohibit searchlights and changing colors used for advertising, and cap floodlight tilt at 45 degrees.
Billboard Lighting Rules in Ada County
Some RestrictionsAda County Code § 8-3-12(K)(6); § 8-3-8(D)(3), (F)(3)
6. Lighting: Billboards may be illuminated in compliance with Section 8-3-8 (Lighting) of this Chapter, and any other applicable ordinances. However, no flashing or intermittent lighting of billboards is permitted. ... D. Prohibited: The installation of any of the following types of lighting are prohibited: ... 3. Changing colors, moving lights, or searchlights (for advertising purposes) are pr...
Outdoor Lighting by City in Ada County
1 cities in Ada County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Ada County ordinances
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