Outdoor Lighting in Baltimore County, MD (2026)
2 rules for unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Baltimore County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.
Dark Sky Rules
Baltimore County has no single countywide dark-sky ordinance. Its closest general standard, BCZR § 409.8.A.3, requires every off-street parking facility's lighting to be arranged so light reflects away from residential lots and public streets.
Baltimore County Parking Lot Lighting Must Shield Glare
Some RestrictionsBCZR § 409.8.A.3
3.Lighting. Any fixture used to illuminate any parking facility shall be so arranged as to reflect the light away from residential lots and public streets. Light standards shall be protected from vehicular traffic by curbing or landscaping.4.Distance to street line. No parking space in a surface parking facility for a nonresidential use, or a residential use in an area located within the Towson...
Light Trespass & Shielding
The only Baltimore County zoning provision that uses the phrase 'light trespass' verbatim is BCZR § 411.4.B.7, a narrow rule for public utility service centers and storage yards in the western subarea of the Honeygo Area near White Marsh.
Baltimore County: Honeygo Utility Yard Light Limits
Some RestrictionsBCZR § 411.4.B.7
All public utility service centers and public utility storage yards in the western subarea of the Honeygo Area are solely subject to the following performance standards.1.Building exteriors shall be of finished quality and similar architectural treatment, as defined in the Honeygo District Guidelines, to grade or, where that is not feasible, shall be finished to within 12 inches of grade on all...
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