Corpus Christi, TX Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

3 of the Unified Development Code sets the design standard: every lighting fixture placed to illuminate a site must be a cutoff or full cutoff fixture so light spillage into the night sky and onto adjacent properties is minimized. Fixture height is tiered by location: 30 feet maximum within parking areas, 15 feet maximum within non-vehicular pedestrian areas, and any fixture within 50 feet of a residential use or residential property boundary is capped at 15 feet regardless of the surrounding land use. Light trespass past the right-of-way line of an adjacent property is limited to 1 foot-candle, and fixtures must be mounted so the cone of light stays on-site and does not cross a property line.

4), cobra-head fixtures with dished or drop lenses housing non-incandescent sources, and searchlights or other high-intensity narrow-beam fixtures. 4: wall-pack style fixtures cannot project above the building's fascia or roofline, must be shielded, cannot face a residential property, and cannot substitute for required parking or walkway lighting. Canopy lighting over fuel sales or ATM installations must use a recessed lens flush with the canopy's underside for a cutoff distribution. 3(F), the Technical Review Committee may require sensors, timers, or similar controls limiting illumination to periods of actual activity to conserve energy and maintain compatibility between adjacent land uses. 5 additionally bars lighting oriented to direct glare or excessive illumination onto streets in a way that could distract or interfere with driver vision.