Outdoor Lighting in St. Louis County, MO (2026)
2 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in St. Louis County, Missouri.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
St. Louis County zoning caps outdoor light spillover at one-tenth of a footcandle onto neighboring "NU," "PS," and "R" district property lines and requires fixtures to hold an 85-degree cutoff angle. Parking lots must use fully shielded, flat-lens fixtures, and any site plan changing exterior lighting must include a photometric lighting plan reviewed by the Director of Planning under Section 1003.169.
St. Louis County Outdoor Lighting Shielding Rules
Some RestrictionsSt. Louis County Code § 1003.169
6. General lighting standards. The following standards shall apply to all outdoor lighting: (1) No flickering or flashing lights shall be permitted, except for temporary decorative seasonal lighting. (2) All illumination structures, except for approved street lights, shall maintain a cut-off angle of not greater than eighty-five (85) degrees and shall be so arranged as not to case light greater...
Light Trespass & Shielding
St. Louis County Code §1005.320.1 makes street lights a condition of subdivision approval for anything platted since 1968, and puts the cost squarely on residents. The section states that St. Louis County is not responsible for any cost or maintenance of subdivision street lighting, which is typically carried by subdivision residents through homeowner fees or a street light maintenance district formed under RSMo §235.
Subdivision Street Lighting Standards
Some RestrictionsSt. Louis County Code §1005.320.1
Sec. 1005.320.1. — Street Lighting. Prior to 1968, the St. Louis County Subdivision Ordinance did not require subdivisions to have street lights. Since then, any new subdivision has been required to have street lights as a condition of development approval. The cost of maintaining the street lights is typically borne by subdivision residents through homeowner fees. St. Louis County is not respo...
Outdoor Lighting by City in St. Louis County
1 cities in St. Louis County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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