Clay County has no dark-sky ordinance for homes, but its Land Development Code requires commercial and industrial lighting to be shielded so the light source is hidden at any property line next to a residential or agricultural district. Cities may add their own lighting rules.
Missouri has no statewide dark-sky law, and unincorporated Clay County does not regulate residential porch or yard lighting. The county's lighting standards sit in the Land Development Code for commercial and industrial development: in the C-1, C-2, and C-3 districts, lighting must be designed and located so the direct light source is shielded from view at property lines abutting residential or agricultural zones (LDC Sec. 151-4.11). Airport-area development faces added glare limits under Sec. 151-5.5 to protect pilots. Kansas City and other Clay County cities apply their own lighting and glare provisions. For a neighbor's residential light, the practical remedy is a private nuisance approach.
Nonconforming commercial lighting is corrected through the county's zoning enforcement under LDC Sec. 151-14, which can require reaiming or shielding fixtures. Residential light disputes are generally handled as private nuisance matters.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Gladstone's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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