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Outdoor Lighting in Alachua County, FL (2026)

2 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Alachua County, Florida.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Alachua County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Dark Sky Rules

Alachua County caps how far outdoor light fixtures can aim upward or outward: § 407.146(d) bans any fixture oriented so that light is emitted at more than 85 degrees from nadir (straight down), a classic dark-sky measure limiting uplight and glare on all outdoor lighting tied to a development or redevelopment plan.

Dark-Sky Uplight Angle Limit (Alachua County)

Some Restrictions

Alachua County Code § 407.146(d)

No person shall install any of the following types of outdoor lighting: ... (d)Any fixture oriented such that light is emitted at an angle more than 85 degrees from nadir;

Light Trespass & Shielding

Alachua County's outdoor lighting article bans any lamp or bulb visible beyond the property line it sits on, and caps how much light a development's fixtures may throw onto a neighbor: no more than 1.0 footcandle at an adjoining non-residential lot and 0.5 footcandle at an adjoining residential or agricultural lot, measured at finished grade near the boundary.

Light Trespass Onto Neighboring Land (Alachua County)

Some Restrictions

Alachua County Code §§ 407.146(f), 407.148(b)(4)

(f)Any lamp or bulb that is visible beyond the property line on which it is located, except as provided in Section 407.145 or as provided for in this Article. ... Maximum maintained illumination levels measured at finished grade on adjoining property within twenty-five (25) feet of the property line of the project in question shall be no more than one (1.0) footcandles (fc) if the adjoining pro...

Outdoor Lighting by City in Alachua County

1 cities in Alachua County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.

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