Outdoor Lighting in Rock Island County, IL (2026)

2 rules for unincorporated Rock Island County, Illinois.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Rock Island County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Dark Sky Rules

Rock Island County caps luminaire height and mandates cutoff angles and shielding hardware on exterior fixtures across the unincorporated county. Section 154.572 limits freestanding pole lights to 30 feet, cuts that to 25 feet near housing, and requires every fixture to carry a cutoff angle of 90 degrees or less.

Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules, Rock Island County

Some Restrictions

Rock Island County Code of Ordinances § 154.572(A)(1)(c), (A)(2), (C)(3)

(c) The proposed luminaire has a cutoff angle of less than or equal to 66 degrees. (2) Any open area used for motor vehicle parking, storage, or access shall be illuminated with freestanding luminaries. Freestanding luminaries are permitted to be a maximum of 30 feet in height with a three-foot support, for a maximum height from the ground of 33 feet. When a luminaire is located within 500 ...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Light Trespass & Shielding

Rock Island County's zoning code caps how much exterior light can spill onto a neighbor's land in the unincorporated county. Under § 154.572, illumination measured at any boundary line with an adjoining property cannot exceed one foot-candle, and every fixture must be arranged so light is reflected away from adjacent parcels rather than into them.

Light Trespass Limits in Rock Island County

Some Restrictions

Rock Island County Code of Ordinances § 154.572(B)(1), (C)(1)-(2)

(B) Intensity of lighting in all zoning districts except those containing single-family and two-family dwellings: (1) The amount of illumination attributable to exterior lighting from a property shall not exceed one foot-candle when measured at any boundary line with an adjoining property. ... (C) (1) In all zoning districts, any lighting shall be arranged to reflect the light away from...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

All Rock Island County ordinances

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