Dayton, OH Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard required
- full cut-off / full shielding
- Exempt: pre-existing
- fixtures installed before 8/1/2006
- Exempt: seasonal
- decorative bulbs under 25 watts
- Governing section
- Zoning Code § 150.420.3(A)(2), (C)(1)(a)
Summary
Dayton's zoning code requires new outdoor lighting citywide to be full cut-off, shielded so all light projects below a horizontal plane at the fixture's lowest point, with exemptions for small seasonal, temporary and pre-2006 fixtures.
(2) Full-shielded or full cut-off type fixture. An outdoor lighting fixture that is shielded or constructed so that all light emitted is projected below a horizontal plane running through the lowest light-emitting part of the fixture. ... (a) Full-cutoff fixtures shall be installed and maintained so that the shielding is effective as described in sub-section 150.420.03 (A)(2) above.
Full Breakdown
Zoning Code § 150.420.3(A)(2) defines a 'full-shielded or full cut-off type fixture' as one shielded or constructed so all emitted light is projected below a horizontal plane running through the fixture's lowest light-emitting part: the technical core of dark-sky-style lighting ordinances. Section 150.420.3(C)(1)(a) then mandates that full-cutoff fixtures 'be installed and maintained so that the shielding is effective' as defined. Exemptions in § 150.420.3(D) cover decorative seasonal lights under 25 watts, temporary construction/emergency lighting, and fixtures legally installed before August 1, 2006, until they are replaced.
Violations & Fines
Installing or maintaining a non-shielded fixture outside the code's exemptions is a Zoning Code violation, enforceable through a notice of violation and the Zoning Administrator's civil penalty or misdemeanor citation authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dayton require dark-sky-style shielded lighting?
Are older light fixtures grandfathered in Dayton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dayton
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