Outdoor Lighting in Greenville County, SC (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Greenville County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Greenville County has no county-wide dark-sky ordinance for existing homes, but in its Environmentally Sensitive (ESD-PM) district, lighting must use downward or shielded fixtures and create no light spillage above the tree canopy to minimize sky glow and light pollution.
Dark-Sky and Light-Pollution Rules in Greenville County
Some RestrictionsGreenville County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 8:5.10 (Outdoor Lighting, ESD-PM)
Light fixtures must be aimed, located, designed, fitted and maintained so as to direct light downward and create no light spillage above the tree canopy to minimize sky glow, glare and light pollution.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Greenville County limits light trespass through its development standards. In the Environmentally Sensitive (ESD-PM) district, light trespass may measure no greater than 0.1 foot-candle at the property line with adjoining residential property, and general site lighting must use cutoff fixtures to reduce spillover.
Light Trespass onto Neighbors in Greenville County
Some RestrictionsGreenville County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 8:5.10 (Light trespass, ESD-PM)
Lighting shall use downward and/or inward facing fixtures and/or utilize light shields to limit light trespass onto adjoining residential properties, and light trespass shall measure no greater than 0.1 foot-candle at the property line with adjoining residential property.
Billboard Lighting
Every billboard in unincorporated Greenville County, lit from inside or with external floodlights, must stay within the same 0.3 foot-candle brightness ceiling that governs all signs, under the billboard-specific cross-reference in Sign Ordinance § 19-58(j). Brightness is measured with a Lux meter at a distance set by the sign's square footage under § 19-52.
Billboard Illumination Limits in Greenville County SC
Some RestrictionsGreenville County Code of Ordinances § 19-58(j); § 19-52
(j) Billboard illumination. Any billboards either internally or externally illuminated shall not exceed the limits of § 19-52. § 19-52 ILLUMINATION. Signs may be internally or externally illuminated but shall not exceed a brightness level of 0.3 foot candles above ambient light as measured using a foot candle (Lux) meter at a preset distance depending on sign area, measured as in the table...
Outdoor Lighting by City in Greenville County
1 cities in Greenville County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Greenville County ordinances
See every category we cover for Greenville County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Greenville County Ordinance Hub →