Will County, IL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Will County Code § 155-13.140
- Light trespass limit
- 0.1 footcandles above ambient
- Fixture requirement
- Shielded, downward-cast only
- Measurement height
- 60 inches above grade
- Geographic reach
- Unincorporated Will County only
Summary
Illuminated billboards in unincorporated Will County must use shielded, downward-cast fixtures and can't spill more than 0.1 footcandles onto nearby residential land.
Externally illuminated signs may be illuminated only with stationary, downward-cast, shielded light sources that direct light solely onto the face of the sign. Light bulbs or light tubes, excluding neon, used for illuminating such signs must be shielded or positioned so that they are not visible from public rights-of-way or residential zoning districts. [https://export.amlegal.com/media/8d2c19b96d0c815b86ee4c103e7ec0e3625f1a3e/ IMAGES/0-0-0-5669.jpg]
Poorly designed upward-cast lighting wastes light/energy and contributes to unwanted light pollution. All external lighting signs must be mounted on the top of the sign and aimed downward toward the sign face. Light sources must be shielded to prevent glare on nearby road-ways and residential property.
(B) Light trespass from any sign may not cause the light level along any residential zoning district, as measured at a height of 60 inches above grade in a plane at any angle of inclination, to exceed 0.1 footcandles above ambient light levels at the residential property line. (Ord. 18-1, passed 1-18-2018)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Will County's zoning code treats billboards as "advertising signs" and regulates their lighting under the county's external illumination standard. Light sources must be stationary, downward-cast and shielded so bulbs or tubes aren't visible from public rights-of-way or residential districts, and light trespass at a residential property line can't exceed 0.1 footcandles above ambient levels, measured at 60 inches above grade. The rule applies only in unincorporated Will County; Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield and Lockport enforce their own sign codes.
Violations & Fines
Enforced by the Land Use Department/Zoning Administrator as a zoning code violation; corrections are typically ordered through the permit and code enforcement process, with continued noncompliance referred for further zoning enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a billboard in unincorporated Will County be lit with upward floodlights?
Does this rule apply to billboards inside Joliet or Bolingbrook?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois outdoor lighting overview
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