Brookhaven, GA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Sec. 27-982 of the Brookhaven Code, in Division 4 (Outdoor Lighting) of the zoning chapter, sets the shielding standard in its subsection (2), Arrangement and shielding. It has two parts.

First, direction and concealment. Lighting shall be installed to direct light away from abutting lots that are not under common ownership or control with the lot on which the lights are located. Shielding shall be provided so the light-producing element is not visible from abutting property, measured five feet above grade. A neighbor standing at ordinary eye level should not see the bulb or lamp.

Second, a numeric cutoff. Light-producing elements shall be concealed or shielded with cutoffs so that no more than 2.5 percent of the light emitted directly from the lamp or indirectly from the fixture is projected at an angle of more than 90 degrees above nadir, and no more than ten percent is projected at an angle of more than 80 degrees above nadir. Nadir is straight down, so 90 degrees above nadir is the horizontal. The rule limits both the light that escapes sideways and the light that goes up, which is the dark-sky concern.

The same section contains a canopy rule: recessed fixtures shall be used in all under-canopy lighting, and no lamps, reflectors, refractors or focusing or diffusing may extend below the underside of the canopy surface. Figure 9-2 in the code illustrates shielded fixtures.

Scope matters. Under Sec. 27-981, the division's lighting regulations in Secs. 27-982 and 27-983 do not apply to lots occupied by residential buildings containing fewer than four dwelling units, public street lights, FAA-required aviation safety lights, spotlighting of official government flags contained within the flag area, lighting used exclusively for public recreational activities and sporting events, emergency and law enforcement lighting, city council-approved special events, fixtures with a light output of no more than 1,000 lumens, and temporary holiday light displays. Sec. 27-980 states the purposes: adequate lighting for travelers, efficient energy use, and reducing the impacts of nuisance lighting and glare on nearby areas.

Sec. 27-983 requires an outdoor lighting plan with a site plan submittal, with maximum fixture heights in Table 9-2 or a photometric study.