Outdoor Lighting in York County, SC (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in York County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
New outdoor light fixtures in unincorporated York County must be fully shielded, with the light source hidden inside opaque housing and invisible from any street, under Section 155.884 of the Zoning Code, and the county goes further by recommending International Dark-Sky Association certified fixtures under Section 155.887.
York County Fully-Shielded Fixture Rule
Some RestrictionsYork County, S.C. Code § 155.884(A), (E)
§ 155.884 LIGHT FIXTURES. (A) Any light fixture shall be fully-shielded, whose source is completely concealed with opaque housing and shall not be visible from any street. This provision includes lights mounted on poles and buildings, as well as architectural display and decorative lighting visible from streets. ... (E) Wall packs on buildings may be used at secondary entrances to a b...
Light Trespass & Shielding
York County zoning caps how much light can spill onto a neighbor's property: outdoor lighting may not exceed one-half footcandle at lot lines next to single-family homes, or two-and-one-half footcandles at lot lines next to any other use, under Section 155.883(F) of the Zoning Code.
York County Outdoor Light Trespass Limit
Some RestrictionsYork County, S.C. Code § 155.883(F)-(H)
§ 155.883 DESIGN STANDARDS FOR OUTDOOR LIGHTING. ... (F) All outdoor lighting shall maintain maximum illumination values of not more than one-half footcandles at lot lines adjacent to single-family dwellings or developments and not more than two and one-half footcandles at lot lines adjacent to all other uses. (G) All commercial light fixtures shall be located at least five feet from ...
Billboard Lighting
York County bans construction of new billboards outright, and any billboard lighting is exempt from the county's general outdoor lighting design standards, so long as it does not create the kind of confusing illumination that mimics a traffic signal, which is separately prohibited.
York County Billboard Lighting & Sign Rules
Heavy RestrictionsYork County, S.C. Code of Ordinances § 155.932; § 155.882(B); § 155.938(A)
§ 155.932 PROHIBITED SIGNS. A person may not construct, install, operate, display, or use the following types of signs: (A) Flashing signs; (B) Billboards; (C) Pole signs; (D) Portable signs; (E) Roof signs; (F) Searchlights; ... (I) Signs of a size, location, movement, coloring, or manner of illumination that may cause confusion for drivers because of the sign's similarity to a traffic control...
Outdoor Lighting by City in York County
1 cities in York County have their own outdoor lighting rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All York County ordinances
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