Fort Myers, FL Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Fixture type
- Fully shielded, full cutoff only
- Prohibited lamp
- Mercury vapor banned citywide
- Residential spillover cap
- 0.2 fc at 10 ft over line
- Parking pole height
- 25 ft, 15 ft near residential
- Applies to
- Non-residential & multifamily parking
Summary
Fort Myers requires fully shielded, full cutoff outdoor light fixtures on non-residential and multifamily parking lots, and bans mercury vapor lamps citywide.
Fully shielded, full cutoff luminaries with recessed bulbs and flat lenses are the only permitted fixtures for outdoor lighting... Specifically, mercury vapor lamps are prohibited... The amount of illumination projected onto a residentially zoned property or use from another property, may not exceed 0.2 foot-candle measured at ten feet from the property line onto the adjacent residential property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 60).
Full Breakdown
Fort Myers Land Development Code § 134.3.8 makes fully shielded, full cutoff luminaires with recessed bulbs and flat lenses the only permitted outdoor fixture on new site lighting, with narrow exceptions for very low-lumen, motion-sensor, and accent fixtures. Mercury vapor lamps are flatly prohibited, and light spilling onto a residential property next door cannot exceed 0.2 foot-candle measured ten feet past the line. Parking-lot poles are capped at 25 feet, dropping to 15 feet within 50 feet of residential zoning, and flood or spot lights can never be aimed skyward or toward the shoreline. The rule applies to all non-residential development and off-street parking for multifamily projects; single-family lots are outside its reach.
Violations & Fines
Enforced through the site-plan/certificate-of-compliance process; a registered engineer must certify installed lighting matches the approved photometric plan before final inspection, and any fixture swap after permitting needs a new approval. Non-conforming existing poles are grandfathered on height but must be brought into compliance when triggered by § 98.4.5, and any fixture replaced after adoption must meet the shielding and lumen standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply to a single-family home's porch light in Fort Myers?
Can a Fort Myers business use unshielded floodlights in its parking lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Myers
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Fort Myers to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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Dark Sky Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lee County handle dark sky rules.