Outdoor Lighting in Orange County, FL (2026)
2 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Orange County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Orange County's exterior lighting article, Code sections 9-646 through 9-652, covers commercial and other non-exempt projects in the unincorporated county. Fixtures must be cutoff, light at the property line is capped at 0.5 footcandles beside homes and 1.0 beside other uses, non-residential lights drop about 50 percent within one hour of closing, and parking lot poles top out at 30 feet.
Orange County Exterior Lighting and Dark-Sky Standards
Significant RestrictionsOrange County Code § 9-649(a)(4)-(6), (b)(1)
All light fixtures, including security lighting, shall be cutoff fixtures ... Luminaires shall not be physically or optically tilted. ... A cutoff fixture shall not have more than one (1) percent of lamp lumens above horizontal. Sag lenses, convex lenses, and drop lenses shall be prohibited. ... Illumination levels at the property line of the building or project shall not be more than 0.5 f.c. ...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Commercial and nonresidential development in unincorporated Orange County can't spill light onto neighboring residential property: § 9-649(a)(5) caps illumination at the property line to 0.5 footcandles next to a residential use, requires house-side shielding on every fixture, and limits access-point lighting near roadways to 3.6 footcandles. Acorn-style fixtures within 80 feet of single-family zoning get an added shielding requirement so their light doesn't spill past the property line.
Orange County Exterior Light Trespass Rule
Some RestrictionsOrange County Code § 9-649(a)(5), (b)(2)b
(5) Illumination levels. Illumination levels at the property line of the building or project shall not be more than 0.5 f.c. at any point when the building or project is located next to any residential use, and shall not be more than 1.0 f.c. when located next to any other use. On-site light levels at vehicular access points along roadways shall be limited to 3.6 f.c. To avoid glare or spill li...
Outdoor Lighting by City in Orange County
1 cities in Orange County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Orange County ordinances
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