Outdoor Lighting in Orange County, NC (2026)
2 rules for unincorporated Orange County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Chapel Hill's Land Use Management Ordinance Section 5.11 sets real outdoor-lighting standards: fixtures shielded to avoid glare and light spill, non-cutoff lights mounted no higher than 15 feet and full-cutoff lights no higher than 35 feet. North Carolina has no statewide dark-sky law.
Orange County Dark Sky & Outdoor Lighting Rules
Some RestrictionsChapel Hill, NC, Land Use Management Ordinance, Sec. 5.11.2 (Mounting Heights)
Outdoor lighting, except sports and athletic field lighting, shall be mounted at heights no greater than fifteen (15) feet for non-cutoff lights; and no greater than thirty-five (35) feet for full cutoff lights.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Chapel Hill's LUMO holds light spilling onto neighboring property to 0.3 foot-candles at ground level, a tighter cap than most cities. Any development that pushes off-site light above that line, or above the existing level where ambient light already exceeds it, violates Section 5.11.4.
Orange County Light Trespass Regulations
Some RestrictionsChapel Hill, NC, Land Use Management Ordinance, Sec. 5.11.4 (Offsite Illumination)
Increases in illumination on off-site property shall not result in lighting levels in excess of 0.3 foot-candles, measured at ground level. Where existing ambient off-site lighting levels are in excess of 0.3 foot-candles, no increase in measurable off-site lighting levels will be allowed as a result of outdoor lighting in the development.
All Orange County ordinances
See every category we cover for Orange County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Orange County Ordinance Hub →