Outdoor Lighting in Martin County, FL (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Martin County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Every outdoor lighting fixture Martin County installs on private or public property, from parking-lot lights to security floodlights, must be downward-directed and shielded so no light shines directly onto neighboring parcels or public rights-of-way. Land Development Regulations Sec. 3.208 caps incidental spillover onto a nearby residential lot at 0.2 footcandles, measured eight feet above grade at that lot's property line.
Martin County Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rule
Some RestrictionsMartin County LDR § 3.208 (Article 3, Lighting)
3.208.A.All outdoor lighting fixtures shall be downward directed and shielded so as to prevent other parcels and public rights-of-way from being directly illuminated.3.208.B.Where outdoor lighting is provided on a nonresidential parcel or on a street, the maximum incidental light spillage onto a nearby residential parcel shall be 0.2 footcandles as measured at eight feet above average grade at ...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Martin County's Land Development Regulations require industrial operations that create glare to shield it completely from view off-site. In both the M-1 Industrial District (LDR Sec. 3.420.A.2.g) and M-2 Industrial District (LDR Sec. 3.421.A.2.g), manufacturing operations creating glare "shall be so shielded that the glare cannot be seen from outside the real property boundary," a zero-trespass standard tied to industrial permitting.
Martin County Industrial Glare Shielding Rule
Some RestrictionsMartin County LDR §§ 3.420.A.2.g, 3.421.A.2.g
Operations creating glare shall be so shielded that the glare cannot be seen from outside the real property boundary.
Billboard Lighting
Martin County's sign ordinance regulates how billboards and other permitted signs may be lit rather than banning illumination outright. LDR Sec. 4.699.C lets a sign be lit directly or indirectly but requires shielding near residential districts, while Sec. 4.695.A.5 flatly bans intermittent, animated, moving or rotating lighting on any sign, including the off-premises billboards permitted under Sec. 4.703.A.
Martin County Billboard Lighting Standards
Some RestrictionsMartin County LDR Sec. 4.699.C, 4.695.A.5 (Article 4, Division 16)
4.699.C.Illumination. Signs may be illuminated directly or indirectly, unless specifically prohibited elsewhere in this division. In residential districts, all overhead illumination shall provide shielding so that the light is not directed toward adjacent residential property. Wall signs, freestanding signs, monument signs, and fixed projecting signs may include cabinets, individual illuminated...
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