Outdoor Lighting in York County, VA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated York County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Dark Sky Rules
York County, Virginia requires full cut-off fixtures on most outdoor lighting tied to development. Under Sec. 24.1-260(f), any fixture emitting more than 3,000 initial lumens, roughly a 160-watt incandescent bulb, must use a full cut-off luminaire and follow Illuminating Engineering Society of North America standards so it doesn't glare onto neighboring streets and properties; high-pressure sodium and metal halide lights are the county's preferred type.
York County outdoor lighting cutoff rule
Some RestrictionsYork County Code § 24.1-260(f)
Sec. 24.1-260. - General site design standards. ... (f)Except as exempted below, all outdoor lighting in excess of 3,000 initial lumens associated with land use and development proposals, whether new uses or changes and modifications in existing uses, shall be designed, installed and maintained to prevent unreasonable or objectionable glare onto adjacent rights-of-way and properties and shall i...
Light Trespass & Shielding
York County, Virginia limits how much light a development's outdoor lighting can throw onto neighboring land. Sec. 24.1-260 caps illumination at property lines to 0.5 footcandles where the site borders non-residential property and just 0.1 footcandles where it borders a home, unless the zoning administrator or the Board of Supervisors specifically authorizes more.
York County light trespass footcandle limits
Some RestrictionsYork County Code § 24.1-260
Sec. 24.1-260. - General site design standards. ... Unless specifically authorized by the zoning administrator or specifically authorized by the board of supervisors in a special use permit approval action, site lighting shall be designed to limit illumination intensity to not more than 0.5 footcandles at all perimeter property lines abutting non-residential property and not more than 0.1 footc...
Billboard Lighting
In York County, Virginia, any illuminated sign is capped at 0.5 footcandle measured at property lines next to nonresidential land and 0.1 footcandle next to residential land, and off-premises signs carrying commercial content, the classic billboard, are banned outright regardless of how they're lit.
York County Illuminated and Billboard Sign Lighting Limits
Significant RestrictionsYork County Code §§ 24.1-702(k), 24.1-708(g)
(k)Illuminance intensity of any illuminated sign shall be limited to not more than 0.5 footcandle at all perimeter property lines abutting non-residentially zoned property and not more than 0.1 footcandle at all perimeter property lines abutting residentially zoned property. External lighting fixtures shall be shielded and directed in such a manner as to prevent glare onto adjacent roadways or ...
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