Outdoor Lighting in Kootenai County, ID (2026)

2 rules for unincorporated Kootenai County, Idaho.

Verified from official government sources

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

Dark Sky Rules

Kootenai County treats outdoor lighting tied to a permitted recreational use, ballfields, shooting ranges, campgrounds, and similar facilities, as its own regulated activity in the rural zone. Before turning on stadium-style or security lighting for that use, the operator needs a special notice permit, and the fixtures have to be shielded and pointed down so they never glare onto a public road or a neighbor's land.

Outdoor Lighting Rules for Recreational Uses in Kootenai County

Significant Restrictions

Kootenai County LUDC 8.5.201

8.5.201: OUTDOOR LIGHTING FOR PERMITTED RECREATIONAL USES: Outdoor lighting for permitted recreational uses may be constructed and used upon issuance of a special notice permit for such use. Lighting shall be downward directed and screened so that it produces no glare upon public rights of way or adjacent properties. (Ord. 493, 6-9-2016; amd. Ord. 611, 5-8-2025)

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Light Trespass & Shielding

Kootenai County caps outdoor illumination for every commercial, manufacturing, and industrial use in its Light Industrial and Industrial zones at 0.2 foot-candle measured at the edge of the parcel. The limit covers both direct and indirect light, so a business cannot rely on reflected glow or an unshielded floodlight to get around the cap at a neighbor's property line.

Light Trespass Limits in Kootenai County Industrial Zones

Some Restrictions

Kootenai County LUDC 8.4.1304(C)

8.4.1304: STANDARDS COMMON TO LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ZONES: All commercial, manufacturing, and industrial uses in the Light Industrial and Industrial Zones shall comply with the following performance standards: ... C. Illumination: Unless otherwise required by law, direct and indirect illumination shall not exceed 0.2 foot-candle at the edge of the parcel or parcels on which the use is...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

All Kootenai County ordinances

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