Decatur, GA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Sec. 1 of the City of Decatur's Unified Development Ordinance states the Site Lighting article exists in part to curtail and reverse the degradation of the nighttime visual environment and the night sky, and to preserve the dark night sky for astronomy, by limiting outdoor lighting that is misdirected, excessive or unnecessary. That intent becomes an enforceable standard in Sec. 4, Outdoor Lighting Standards: any flood or spot lamp visible from an off-site residential property or a public roadway cannot be aimed higher than 45 degrees above straight down, the point halfway between vertical and horizontal, and any fixture required to be shielded must have that shielding installed and maintained so it stays effective for a fully shielded fixture.

The rule reaches decorative lighting too. Under Sec. E, Architectural Accent Lighting, fixtures used to highlight a building's architectural features, materials, color or style, or to light landscaping or art, must be located, aimed and shielded so the light lands only on the feature being accented, and must be aimed or shielded to minimize light spill into the dark night sky. These standards apply citywide to any development requiring a permit, and Sec. 3 pulls in older sites too: a building addition of 50% or more in dwelling units, floor area or parking, or a lighting retrofit that swaps 60% or more of a parcel's permitted lumens, triggers compliance for the entire property, not just the new work.

Applicants must submit lighting plans, fixture cut sheets and photometric data under Sec. 7 before the Department signs off, and a certified illumination engineer must confirm as-built compliance before a certificate of occupancy issues. A property owner who cannot meet the shielding or aiming standard can apply to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance under Sec. 6.