Garland, TX Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum cutoff angle
- 70 degrees from horizontal
- Fixture height limit
- No higher than building's roofline
- Accent lighting cap
- 15 watts per bulb, non-nonresidential districts
- Recreational lighting trigger
- 0.5 footcandle above ambient at residential line
Summary
Garland requires outdoor light fixtures to be down-light, indirect, diffused, or shielded with at least a 70-degree cutoff from horizontal, and restricts fixture height and low-wattage accent lighting to curb glare and skyglow.
Light sources must be of a down-light, indirect, diffused or shielded type (minimum seventy-degree cut-off when measured from horizontal), or installed and maintained in a manner to reduce glare effect and consequent interference with use of adjacent properties and streets. ... The height of the standards, poles, and fixtures, excluding those mounted on a building, may not exceed the height of the highest roofline of the building(s) within the site, except as provided in Subsection 4.92 (Recreational Area Lighting) or in Table 4-10 (Mounting Heights for Lighting in Parking Areas) in this Article 7.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4862189; v40 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
91, Luminaries, requires light sources to be of a down-light, indirect, diffused, or shielded type with a minimum seventy-degree cut-off measured from horizontal, or otherwise installed and maintained to reduce glare and interference with adjacent properties and streets. 92 or the mounting heights set in Table 4-10 for parking-area lighting. In nonresidential and mixed-use districts only, strings of low-wattage lights, capped at fifteen watts each, steady-glowing and non-twinkling, are allowed for permanent display on a building or its premises, such as a dining patio, walkway, or trees, without City approval or a permit; bare bulbs or strings above fifteen watts are prohibited.
86, is to control outdoor lighting and glare to encourage energy conservation, promote nighttime public safety, and reduce annoyance while minimizing light trespass and skyglow. 92(B).
Violations & Fines
A Lighting Plan submitted under Section 4.88 that shows fixtures without the required seventy-degree cutoff, or with non-compliant height or accent-lighting wattage, does not satisfy Article 7 and the Planning Director can require revisions, additional photometric data, or a certified testing-laboratory report before approving development. Recreational lighting installed without the required living screen where the 0.5-footcandle residential threshold is exceeded is a violation of Section 4.92(B) subject to code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Garland require shielded outdoor light fixtures?
How tall can a parking lot light pole be in Garland?
Can a restaurant patio string up permanent patio lights without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garland
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Garland to another location·View the Texas outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Dark Sky Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle dark sky rules.