Clarksville, TN Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Dark-sky ordinance
- None adopted
- Code search for dark sky
- Zero hits, both codes
- Shielding rule lives in
- Zoning Ordinance 5.10 site plan
- Downtown overlay fixtures
- High-pressure sodium street lighting
- Lumen or Kelvin caps
- None
Summary
Clarksville has adopted no dark-sky or night-sky ordinance, no lumen caps, and no color-temperature limits. The one shielding standard sits in Zoning Ordinance 5.10, the site plan checklist, which reaches development projects rather than houses.
Note on plans: All site lighting shall be directed inward onto the site to include shielded hoods. No light shall spill onto adjacent properties.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 110 Update 2 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
A full-text sweep of the Clarksville Code of Ordinances and Zoning Ordinance returns zero hits for "dark sky," one hit for "outdoor lighting," and one for "luminaire." There is no lighting chapter and no curfew on residential floodlights. What exists is a plan note required by Zoning Ordinance 5.10, plus use-specific conditions in 5.1 and 5.2 for golf courses and drive-in theaters. The Downtown Urban Design Overlay 9.5 specifies high-pressure sodium street lighting fixtures, and the Madison Street Corridor guidelines in Appendix I say illumination should be shielded from adjacent properties. The Airport Overlay District in 9.1 restricts structure height near Outlaw Field under T.C.A. 42-6-101, but it is a hazard control, not a lighting rule.
Violations & Fines
Nothing to enforce against a homeowner. On a project needing site plan approval, unshielded lighting is a Regional Planning Commission approval issue before permits are released.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clarksville have a dark-sky law?
Do any lighting rules apply downtown?
Who would I ask about adding a lighting standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clarksville
Compare Clarksville to another location·View the Tennessee outdoor lighting overview
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