Aurora, CO Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Streets/parking fixture height cap
- 25 ft (40 ft in remote I-2)
- Walkway fixture height cap
- 16 ft, full cutoff shielded
- Off-site light spillover limit
- 0.1 footcandle at 10 ft
- Prohibited light sources
- low-pressure sodium, mercury vapor
- Minimum fixture efficiency
- 80 lumens per watt
Summary
Aurora's Unified Development Ordinance requires full cutoff shielded fixtures for on-site streets, parking areas, and most pedestrian paths, caps fixture height, bans mercury vapor and low-pressure sodium lighting, and limits how much light spills onto neighboring properties.
In all zone districts except portions of the I-2 zone district located more than 750 feet away from a Residential zone district, on-site streets and parking areas shall be lit with full cutoff shielded luminaire type lighting fixtures no more than 25 feet tall, and fixtures shall be downcast types with full cutoff shielding. In the I-2 district, the maximum permitted height of lighting fixtures located at least 750 feet from Residential districts and residential uses shall be 40 feet. [IMAGE: <4.9.2_001.jpg>]Figure 4.9-1: Examples of Full-Cutoff Light Fixtures [IMAGE: <4.9.2_002.jpg>]Figure 4.9-2: Examples of Light Fixtures that Do Not Meet the Full-Cutoff Standard
C. Incandescent light sources of 100 watts or less or other light sources of 60 watts or less (gaseous discharge) that are located at least 150 feet from the property line of a residential district, are exempt from the full cutoff shielding requirement.
D. Lighting along public street and landscaped areas shall comply with the Aurora Roadway Design and Construction Specifications Manual and be of a unified design.
E. Lighting sources shall be color-correct types such as Halogen, metal halide, or light emitting diode (LED). Light types of limited spectral emission, such as low pressure sodium or mercury vapor lights, are prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-30, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under UDO § 146-4.9.2, on-site streets and parking areas citywide (with a narrow I-2 carve-out far from residential zones) must use full cutoff shielded, downcast luminaires no taller than 25 feet: 40 feet in that I-2 exception. Private sidewalks and pedestrian/bicycle paths need full cutoff shielded fixtures no taller than 16 feet, except in the R-R and R-1 districts. Only color-correct sources (halogen, metal halide, LED) are allowed; low-pressure sodium and mercury vapor are prohibited. Light spilling onto an adjacent property is capped at 0.1 footcandle measured 10 feet past the line, and fixtures must hit at least 80 lumens per watt.
Violations & Fines
Enforced through Aurora's development review and building permit process under the UDO; a site or lighting plan that doesn't meet § 146-4.9's shielding, height, and spillover limits is not approved, and code enforcement can require retrofits on noncompliant installed fixtures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Aurora, Colorado require dark-sky-style lighting shielding?
Are R-R and R-1 zoned properties exempt from the shielding rule?
Which document governs this: the UDO or the City Code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
Compare Aurora to another location·View the Colorado outdoor lighting overview
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Dark Sky Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Arapahoe County handle dark sky rules.