Outdoor Lighting in Pinellas County, FL (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Pinellas County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Unincorporated Pinellas County requires full cut-off outdoor light fixtures, ones with no direct uplight, on walkways, parking lots, canopies and building or wall mounts. Fixture height is capped at 20 feet in residential districts and 30 feet everywhere else, with sports-field lighting exempt from the height cap.
Pinellas County Full Cut-Off Lighting Rule
Some RestrictionsPinellas County Code § 138-3509(a)(2), (b)
(2)Outdoor lighting shall include full cut-off lighting fixtures. The term "full cut-off" has and is being used to describe luminaires that have no direct uplight (no light emitted above horizontal)a.Full cut-off fixtures are required for all outdoor walkway, parking lot, canopy and building/wall mounted lighting, and all lighting located within those portions of open-sided parking structures t...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Unincorporated Pinellas County bans outdoor lighting that lets glare or light trespass, unwanted light crossing a property line, reach an abutting property. Street lights, government facility lighting, temporary construction and emergency lighting, and seasonal or flag lighting are all exempt from the rule.
Pinellas County Light Trespass Prohibition
Some RestrictionsPinellas County Code § 138-3509(a)(1), (c)
(a)General standards. All outdoor lighting devices shall be installed in conformance with the provisions of this Code and the Florida Building Code. The provisions of this section are not applicable to street lighting.(1)All outdoor lighting shall be designed and installed to prevent glare and light trespass on abutting property. Light trespass is when unwanted light crosses property lines...(c...
Billboard Lighting
Unincorporated Pinellas County requires any electronic billboard operator to agree in writing to follow whatever luminance and illuminance limits the county sets, now or in the future, as a permit condition.
Pinellas County Billboard Brightness Standard
Light RestrictionsPinellas County Code § 138-3757(j)(7)
The applicant shall agree to abide by the luminance and/or illuminance standards, established at any time by Pinellas County, governing the brightness of an electronic changeable message off-premises sign, when such standard is predicated reasonably upon safety or aesthetics, and shall agree to waive or otherwise forbear the enforcement of any claim to a vested right as a result of any standard...
Outdoor Lighting by City in Pinellas County
1 cities in Pinellas County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Pinellas County ordinances
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