Auburn, AL Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Auburn does not have a dedicated dark-sky ordinance or an International Dark-Sky community designation, but it limits light pollution through the Zoning Ordinance's lighting standard, Section 515. That section provides that 'Light or glare from any operation and all lighting for parking areas or for the external illumination of buildings or grounds shall be directed or located in such a manner that direct or indirect illumination from the source of light shall not exceed one (1) foot candle when measured from any property line adjoining a residential development or five (5) foot candles for any property adjoining a non-residential development.' Section 515 further requires that all lighting fixtures incorporated into non-enclosed structures - such as gas-pump canopies and car washes - be fully recessed into the underside of those structures, and that all lighting be directed and/or shielded to focus light onto the use and away from adjacent property and from pedestrian and vehicular areas including sidewalks and streets. These provisions function as Auburn's glare- and spill-control rules, effectively requiring shielded, downward-focused fixtures near property lines. Specific districts and uses (for example, outdoor recreation, rural event venues, and wireless towers) carry additional lighting conditions elsewhere in the ordinance. New development that produces lights or illumination may also be reviewed for visual impact during site plan review.