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

Article 6 of the UDC defines B-U-G Ratings, luminaire, luminaire lumen, footcandle, lux, lighting equipment, lighting repairs, glare and light trespass, the standard toolkit of a dark-sky ordinance. Section 4.6.7, cross-referenced from the district tables, the site plan criteria and the electric vehicle charging standards, is reserved and carries no adopted text. Nothing in the code caps color temperature, requires full cutoff or shielded fixtures, sets a lumens-per-acre budget, or imposes a nighttime curfew on outdoor lighting. Brownsville also sits outside any designated International Dark Sky community or reserve. Until standards are adopted, exterior lighting is reviewed case by case through site plan approval and specific use permits, where staff can require shielding.