Baytown, TX Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

The Unified Land Development Code's outdoor lighting standards (Sec. 51 and Sec. 52) govern every non-exempt fixture installed in the city. Single-unit dwellings, multiplexes, townhouses, and manufactured homes are exempt from the fixture standards, along with street lights, seasonal displays capped at 60 days per six-month period, and upward-directed ornamental lighting that stays below the roofline. Outside those exemptions, Sec. 51(B) bans unshielded wall packs and unshielded floodlights outright, along with fixtures that flash or imitate traffic signals, laser-source lights projected above horizontal, and tower lighting unless the FAA requires it.

Sec. 52-1's height limits by district (8 feet in residential zones, up to 32 feet for 90-degree cutoff fixtures in nonresidential zones, with a 15-foot increase allowed if the lamp is fully recessed from view at five feet above grade). The strictest rule targets homes directly: Sec. 52(B)(1) requires a full cutoff fixture for any light within 20 feet of a residential lot line in a mixed-use or nonresidential district, and Sec. 52(B)(3) requires screening so adjacent residential lots and streets are not directly illuminated.

Sec. 52(B)(2) separately bars any fixture from shining directly into an adjacent dwelling unit regardless of zoning district. may keep only the minimum lighting needed for security, per Sec. 52(B)(6). 52-3 sets maximum footcandles by district, and lighting plans must demonstrate compliance with a photometric drawing before permits issue.