St. Johns County's Atlantic coast requires sea-turtle-friendly lighting. Under Fla. Stat. 161.163 the state sets beachfront lighting guidelines, and the county's Land Development Code section 4.01.09 Light Management Plan bans white light visible from the beach during nesting season, May through October.
Because St. Johns County holds a federal Incidental Take Permit and Habitat Conservation Plan covering 41.1 miles of nesting beach, it enforces mandatory beachfront lighting standards, not optional dark-sky guidance. Fla. Stat. 161.163 directs the state to adopt guidelines for local regulations that control beachfront lighting to protect hatching sea turtles, and the county's Land Development Code section 4.01.09 Light Management Plan implements them. Beachfront fixtures in Vilano Beach and along the coastal strip must be low, shielded, and long-wavelength: amber, orange, or red LED bulbs of 25 watts or less, mounted low and directed down and away from the beach so no light source is visible from the shore during nesting season, roughly May through October.
The county Beach Lighting Officer inspects oceanfront property and issues code-compliance notices for white or unshielded light visible from the beach.
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See how St. Johns County's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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