El Paso County, CO Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Outdoor lighting in El Paso County is regulated under Colorado Springs CSCC §7.3.701 (Exterior Lighting Standards) and El Paso County LDC §5.3.5. Both require fully-shielded (full-cutoff) fixtures directing light downward — no upward lumens permitted. Residential fixture limits: 1,600 initial lumens per fixture standard, 3,000 for designated security lighting. Color temperature capped at 3000K (warm white) for new installations — reduces blue-light pollution and migration-bird impact. Commercial and parking-lot lighting must meet IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) RP-33 standards and lumen-per-acre limits. Motion-sensor activation encouraged. Maximum pole heights 20 ft residential, 25-30 ft commercial. The USAF Academy airspace requires dark-sky protection to preserve training-critical night environments for pilot training — lighting within 3 miles of USAFA faces enhanced cutoff standards. Manitou Springs has pursued enhanced dark-sky overlay zoning as part of its historic-resort character preservation. Pikes Peak summit (Colorado Springs Utilities-managed) has strict observatory-quality lighting standards. International Dark-Sky Association certifications possible — Black Forest foothills and Cheyenne Mountain areas have strong dark-sky advocate communities. Holiday lighting temporarily exempt November 15-January 15. Streetlights managed by Colorado Springs Utilities with 3000K LED conversion ongoing.