Outdoor Lighting in Porter County, IN (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Porter County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Every outdoor light fixture regulated under Porter County's Unified Development Ordinance must be full cutoff and fully shielded, and ground-mounted up-lighting aimed at building facades is banned outright. Parking lot fixtures carry the same shielding rule plus a twenty-five-foot height cap, and shielding hardware has to be permanently attached.
Porter County Full Cutoff Lighting Rule
Some RestrictionsPorter County UDO §5.28 LT-01(A)(3)(a), (A)(5)
3. Ground Lighting: a. Architectural: The external illumination of any structure shall be done using full cut-off, fully-shielded, wall-mounted luminaires. Up-lighting from ground-mounted fixtures is prohibited. ... 5. Luminaire: All luminaires shall be full cutoff and fully-shielded.
Light Trespass & Shielding
Porter County's UDO caps light spilling onto a neighboring property line at five lux, with higher limits only where commercial or industrial parcels sit next to similarly zoned land. Inspectors measure compliance with a light meter held at five feet, aimed at the center of the lit property.
Porter County Light Trespass Limit: 5 Lux
Some RestrictionsPorter County UDO §5.28 LT-01(A)(1)
1. Light Trespass: The maximum allowable light at a property line is five (5) lux. The only exceptions to this standard are as follows: a. When the subject property is located within a commercial zoning district and the adjacent property is also located within a commercial zoning district or an industrial zoning district, then the allowable light at the property line is twenty (20) lux, but onl...
Billboard Lighting
Porter County treats a billboard as an 'outdoor advertising sign' under UDO Chapter 12, so any lighting on it must meet the countywide illumination standard in § 5.46 SI-01(C): no blinking or flashing elements, no exposed light source, and no light that spills onto a neighboring property.
Porter County Billboard and Sign Lighting Rules
Light RestrictionsPorter County UDO § 5.46, SI-01(C): Sign; General, Illumination
C. Illumination: All illuminated signs shall comply with the following standards: 1. No sign shall have blinking, flashing, or fluttering lights, nor shall any device be utilized which has a changing light intensity, brightness of color, or give such illusion. 2. All illuminating elements shall be kept in satisfactory working condition and repaired or replaced if damaged or inoperable within fo...
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