Dark sky ordinances, light trespass rules, and security lighting regulations.
Outdoor Lighting rules vary widely between U.S. cities and counties. What is permitted in one jurisdiction may carry fines or require permits in another. These differences matter whether you are a homeowner, renter, landlord, or business owner.
We research each city's municipal code, official department guidelines, and council records to summarize the rules that affect daily life. Every entry links to the original source so you can verify the details yourself. Browse the topics below to explore specific outdoor lighting regulations by city.
Each tile shows the strongest state-level rule for that state. Click a state to see its full statewide rules and how local cities are constrained.
Severity: Permissive · Moderate · Strict
Ordinances designed to reduce light pollution, including requirements for shielded fixtures, limits on brightness, and curfews for decorative lighting.
Rules preventing your outdoor lights from shining onto neighboring properties, including measurement standards and complaint procedures.
Lighting standards for outdoor advertising — luminance limits, dwell time, sky-glow mitigation, and curfew hours after which billboards must dim or shut off.
Requirements that residential security lights be shielded or downward-facing, with cap on lumen output and no light spillover onto neighbors or the street.
When holiday lights may be installed, removed, energized, and how brightness, animation, and audio components are regulated by your city.