Outdoor Lighting in Beaufort County, SC (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Commercial and multifamily development in unincorporated Beaufort County must use fully shielded, cutoff light fixtures under Community Development Code Section 5.7.40, capping pole height at 20 feet and banning any light source visible from off-site or from the public right-of-way.
Beaufort County Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Community Development Code § 5.7.40.B.1, B.5
1.Any light fixture shall be a cutoff luminaire whose source is completely concealed with opaque housing and shall not be visible from any street. This provision includes lights on mounted poles, as well as architectural display and decorative lighting visible from the corridor. ... 5.Lighting poles may not exceed a height of 20 feet, except for outdoor sports fields or performance areas.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Nonresidential and multifamily development in unincorporated Beaufort County cannot exceed 0.5 footcandles at any lot line next to an existing single-family home, a hard cap set by Community Development Code Section 5.7.40.A.7 to stop glare and spillover onto neighbors.
Beaufort County Light Trespass Limit
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Community Development Code § 5.7.40.A.7
7.All exterior lighting shall maintain maximum illumination values of one-half (0.5) footcandles or less at lot lines adjacent to existing single-family dwellings;
Billboard Lighting
Off-premises signs and billboards in unincorporated Beaufort County cannot have lights added once built unless originally illuminated, and any sign lighting that exists must aim only at the sign face, per Community Development Code Sections 5.6.50.B.3 and 5.7.60.
Beaufort County Billboard Lighting Restrictions
Heavy RestrictionsBeaufort County Community Development Code § 5.6.50.B.3; § 5.7.60
3.Extension, enlargement, replacement, rebuilding, adding lights to an un-illuminated sign, changing the height of the sign above ground, or re-erection of the sign are prohibited. ... 5.7.60 - Sign Lighting: Lighting fixtures illuminating signs shall comply with the standards of Section 5.6.30.C, and such fixtures shall be aimed and shielded so that direct illumination is focused exclusively o...
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