Flower Mound, TX Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Flower Mound's zoning ordinance and development standards include comprehensive outdoor lighting requirements designed to address light pollution, glare, uplight, and sky glow throughout the community. New commercial developments, multifamily residential projects, and subdivision plats must submit a photometric plan as part of their development application showing proposed fixture types, lamp specifications, mounting heights, aiming angles, and calculated footcandle readings at all property lines. The town requires fully shielded (full cutoff) fixtures for parking lot lighting, building-mounted exterior lights, and freestanding pole lights in all commercial, mixed-use, and multifamily zoning districts. A fully shielded fixture is designed so that no light is emitted above the horizontal plane of the fixture housing, preventing upward light that contributes to sky glow visible from miles away. Maximum pole height for parking lot lights is typically limited to 25 feet, though specific planned development district ordinances may impose lower limits of 20 feet or less when the development is adjacent to single-family residential uses. Light levels measured at residential property boundaries from any adjacent non-residential use must not exceed 0.5 footcandles to prevent trespass illumination onto neighboring homes. Decorative and accent lighting on commercial buildings is permitted but must be directed downward or horizontally and must not project light above the horizontal plane. Uplighting of building facades or architectural features is generally prohibited unless specifically approved through a planned development ordinance with conditions addressing the angle, intensity, and shielding of the uplight fixtures. The town has preserved significant natural areas within the Cross Timbers Conservation Development District, which protects remnants of the ancient Cross Timbers forest ecosystem. Development adjacent to these conservation areas may face enhanced lighting restrictions during the planned development approval process, including lower pole heights, reduced footcandle maximums, and warm-color-temperature LED requirements to minimize ecological disruption to wildlife habitats. LED fixtures in new developments must meet color temperature guidelines when specified in planned development conditions, with warmer color temperatures below 3000K often preferred near natural areas. Existing single-family residential properties are not retroactively required to replace non-conforming fixtures, but all new residential construction must comply with lighting standards in effect at the time of building permit issuance.