Outdoor Lighting in Prince William County, VA (2026)
2 rules for unincorporated Prince William County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
Prince William County requires all outdoor lighting fixtures on parking lots and buildings to be full cut-off and shielded so they cannot cast glare onto neighboring properties, and caps nonresidential lighting at just 0.5 foot-candles at any property line bordering a home or farm. Flashing, revolving and searchlight-style fixtures are banned outright.
Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules in Prince William County
Some RestrictionsPWC Zoning Ordinance § 32-250.202
1.All outdoor lighting fixtures shall be designed, shielded, aimed, located and maintained to shield adjacent properties and to not produce glare onto adjacent properties or roadways. Parking lot light fixtures and light fixtures on buildings shall be full cut-off fixtures.2.Street lighting shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of the Design and Construction Standards Manual.3.F...
Light Trespass & Shielding
Prince William County measures outdoor light in foot-candles under its Chapter 32 lighting standards (§ 32-250.202) and Subdivisions Code § 25-30. Site and subdivision lighting must be shielded and limited so glare and spillover onto neighboring residential property are controlled.
Light Trespass and Foot-Candle Limits
Some RestrictionsPWC Zoning Ordinance § 32-250.202 / Part 100 Definitions
Foot-candles are a quantitative unit of measure used to measure the brightness of light falling on a surface. One foot-candle is equal to the amount of light falling on a surface of one foot square from a standard candle located one foot away, and measurements shall be made with a photometric light meter at grade.
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