Fulton County, GA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Fulton County only
- Standard
- Full cutoff, no uplight
- Exception
- Period fixtures may use cutoff lamps
- Trigger
- Any permit-requiring lighting work
Summary
Unincorporated Fulton County's Night Sky Ordinance requires nonexempt outdoor light fixtures to be full cutoff, casting no light above the horizontal as measured at the fixture.
Shall be full cutoff placed so as to allow no light above the horizontal as measured at the luminaire, except as herein noted in this ordinance (as in the case of period fixtures, cutoff fixtures may be used).B.Shall be located, aimed or shielded so as to minimize glare and stray light trespassing across property boundaries and into the public right of way in accordance with the following standards: At Property Lines Including Rights-of-Way Maximum Foot-candles At property line abutting a residential or an agricultural use 1.0 At property line abutting an office or institutional use 1.5 At property line abutting a commercial or industrial use 1.5
Off-Street Parking Lots Minimum Foot-candles Average Foot-candles Maximum Foot-candles
Residential areas 0.5 2.0 4.0 Office-professional areas 1.0 3.0 6.0 Commercial areas 2.0 6.0 12.0 Light industrial areas 1.0 4.0 8.0
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 57).
Full Breakdown
Under Fulton County's Night Sky Ordinance, every nonexempt outdoor lighting fixture in the unincorporated county must be full cutoff: placed so no light escapes above the horizontal, measured at the luminaire itself. Only period fixtures may substitute cutoff-style lamps instead. The standard applies whenever a permit-triggering development, addition, or lighting retrofit invokes the ordinance, covering new and previously installed fixtures once a property crosses the 25 percent addition or 60 percent lumen-replacement thresholds.
Violations & Fines
Permit denial or required fixture replacement for uncut, uplight-emitting fixtures; enforced by the Department of Environment and Community Development at permit review and inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'full cutoff' mean for a fixture?
Are all outdoor lights covered?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fulton County
Compare Fulton County to another location·View the Georgia outdoor lighting overview
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