Carroll County, MD Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 155.051(C)(6)
- Applies to
- Off street parking lots, access ways
- Standard
- Shaded or shielded fixtures
- Protected receptors
- Adjoining residential premises, public streets
- Reviewing agency
- Dept. of Land and Resource Management
- Area covered
- Unincorporated Carroll County only
Summary
Carroll County requires that lighting installed for off street parking facilities and access ways be shaded or shielded so light, glare, and reflection do not spill onto adjoining residential lots or public streets. The Department of Land and Resource Management reviews compliance during site plan approval.
(6) Lighting. Lighting provided for parking facilities and access ways shall be shaded or shielded to direct the light, including glare or reflection, away from adjoining or facing residential premises and from public streets;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through July 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
051(C)(6), lighting fixtures serving off street parking areas and access ways must be shaded or shielded to direct the light, including glare or reflection, away from adjoining or facing residential premises and away from public streets. 050). Because the requirement is folded into site plan review, a developer cannot get plan approval with unshielded fixtures pointed at a neighboring house lot or a public road; the Director of the Department of Land and Resource Management reviews the lighting layout alongside the parking stall dimensions, aisle widths, and landscaping required in the same subsection.
The rule does not set a lumen cap, mounting-height limit, or curfew, so it functions as a glare-control and shielding mandate rather than a full dark-sky lumen ordinance. It reaches commercial, institutional, and multi-family parking lots built or expanded in the unincorporated county; single-family residential yard lights and freestanding municipal streetlights inside incorporated towns like Westminster or Manchester are outside this county code section, since those towns administer their own codes. 052.
Violations & Fines
The lighting standard is enforced through the site plan review gate rather than a standalone fine. Under § 155.004(B), if the Director of the Department of Land and Resource Management finds a parking lot lighting plan does not meet the shielding standard, the Department may refuse to review further plans or grant any additional approvals to the applicant, contractor, or owner until compliance is achieved or a bond satisfactory to the County Attorney is posted with the Board of County Commissioners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Carroll County have a dark-sky lighting ordinance?
Who checks parking lot lighting plans in Carroll County?
Does this rule cover residential yard lights?
Does this apply inside Westminster or Manchester?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
Compare Carroll County to another location·View the Maryland outdoor lighting overview
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