Clifton, NJ Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Parking lot lighting direction
- Must be shielded, reflect downward
- Prohibited spillover
- No light directly on streets/residential zones
- Lots over 5 cars
- Paved, fenced, lighted to City Engineer spec
- String lighting for ads
- Banned outright (§461-17)
- Stated code purpose
- Avoid congestion, promote safety
Summary
Clifton Code § 461-60D requires all lighting for off-street parking areas to be arranged and shielded so it reflects downward, keeping light from shining directly onto adjoining streets, residential zones and buildings. Lots serving more than five cars must also be paved, fenced and lighted to City Engineer specifications.
B. Off-street parking areas for more than five automobiles shall be paved, fenced and lighted according to the specifications established for this purpose by the City Engineer. ... D. All lighting for off-street parking areas shall be so arranged and shielded as to reflect the light downward and prevent any light from shining directly on adjoining streets and residential zones and buildings. § 461-17. String lighting. No string lighting shall be permitted to illuminate or advertise any business use.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4963532; v64 updated 2026-07-21; through 07-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Clifton does not have a freestanding 'dark sky' chapter, but § 461-60D of the off-street parking article builds the same shielding principle into every commercial and multifamily parking lot: all lighting for off-street parking areas shall be so arranged and shielded as to reflect the light downward and prevent any light from shining directly on adjoining streets and residential zones and buildings. § 461-59A frames the purpose behind both rules: avoiding congestion and promoting the safety and convenience of motorists and pedestrians. A separate, narrower lighting rule, § 461-17, bans string lighting used to illuminate or advertise any business use outright, in any district, a de facto ban on unshielded festoon or string lighting for commercial signage regardless of downward direction.
Together the two sections mean a Clifton parking lot has to point its fixtures down and away from homes and streets, while a business cannot use string lights as a lighting or advertising fixture at all.
Violations & Fines
Unshielded parking lot lighting that spills onto an adjoining street or residential zone violates § 461-60D and is enforced as a Chapter 461 zoning violation under § 461-71: a fine of $100 to $1,250, up to 90 days of jail or community service, and each day the glare condition continues counted as a new offense. Using banned string lighting to illuminate or advertise a business under § 461-17 is enforced the same way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clifton require outdoor lighting to be shielded?
Who approves the lighting plan for a large parking lot?
Can a business use string lights to advertise?
Does Clifton have a dark sky ordinance for residential yards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clifton
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