Wake County UDO Article 7-72 sets outdoor-lighting performance standards: fixtures must be full-cutoff or shielded so that no light is emitted above the horizontal plane, lumens-per-acre caps apply by district, and pole heights are capped by zoning category.
Under Wake County UDO §7-72, all new outdoor lighting must be designed to minimize spillover onto neighboring property. Standards include full-cutoff fixtures, lumens/acre caps that vary by zoning district (e.g., R-30 residential vs. HC highway commercial), photocell-controlled shutoff, and maximum pole heights typically 16-25 ft residential vs. up to 35 ft commercial. The County does not enforce a formal Dark-Sky Designation but Wake Audubon's 'Lights Out Wake' campaign encourages residents to dim or turn off non-essential lighting during peak migration seasons (Mar 15-May 31 and Aug 15-Oct 31).
Lighting violations are enforced as part of zoning compliance — typical first warning, then site-plan revocation potential, and civil penalty up to $500 per occurrence under Wake UDO Art. 22.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Wake County.
See how other cities in Wake County handle dark sky rules.
See how Cary's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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