Outdoor Lighting in Effingham County, GA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Effingham County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Inside the Corridor Overlay District along the Chamber of Commerce Gateway (Highway 21) and Hodgeville Road, Zoning Ordinance Appendix F Section IX requires full cut-off IESNA fixtures, house-side shields facing residential uses, and bars lighting that directly illuminates neighboring homes. Parking lot lights cap out at 25 feet and street or pedestrian posts at 18 feet, with canopy fixtures fully recessed so no lamp source shows.
Effingham County Corridor Overlay Lighting Standards
Some RestrictionsEffingham County Zoning Ordinance, Appendix F § IX
IX. - Lighting Design Standards. 1.Streetlights shall be provided on both sides of all internal streets and public rights-of- way and shall be spaced appropriately for the needs of pedestrians and vehicular use.2.The streetlights should use decorative fixtures and poles with housing and pole materials that are dark in color, non-reflective, and consistent with the design and architectural chara...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Effingham County's Zoning Ordinance bars direct glare visible from any residential district caused by unshielded floodlights or other high-intensity lighting sources. A parallel standard for parking lot lighting requires fixtures to be designed and installed to reflect light away from adjoining residential property, per §§ 3.30.5.3 and 3.33.6.
Outdoor Lighting Glare Rules in Effingham County
Some RestrictionsEffingham County Zoning Ordinance §§ 3.30.5.3, 3.33.6
3.30.5.3 Lighting. Where lighting facilities are provided for the parking area, they shall be designed and installed so as to reflect the light away from any contiguous residentially zoned property. ... 3.33.6 Glare. There shall be no direct glare visible from any residential district caused by unshielded floodlights or other sources of high intensity lighting.
Billboard Lighting
Illuminated billboards in unincorporated Effingham County must use base-mounted lights only, with no additional lighting allowed, and the light source cannot be visible from a vehicle or a residence. Electronic billboards face a further rule barring any glare or effect that impairs a driver's vision or interferes with safe vehicle operation.
Effingham County Billboard Lighting Rule
Some RestrictionsEffingham County Zoning Ordinance §§ 3.38.6.C, 3.38.6.J.4
C.Illumination. All illuminated billboards shall use base-mounted lights. The light source must not be visible from a vehicle or a residence. No additional lighting shall be allowed. ... 4.No display or other effect from any electronically changed billboard shall cause a glare or other condition that impairs the vision of the driver of any motor vehicle or which otherwise interferes with the sa...
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