Glen Cove, NY Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- I-1, I-2 and I-3 Industrial Districts
- Shielding rule
- Exterior light shielded from neighbors and streets
- Curfew
- Off by 9:00 p.m.
- Exceptions
- Safety, security, or government-required lighting
- Cross-referenced
- §§ 280-70H, 280-71H adopt same rule
Summary
Glen Cove requires all exterior lighting in its I-1, I-2 and I-3 Industrial Districts to be shielded from view of surrounding properties and streets, and orders it switched off by 9:00 p.m. unless it is essential for safety, security or required by other government rules.
Site illumination. All exterior illumination shall be shielded from view of all surrounding properties and streets, and such lighting, other than lighting of roads and buildings essential for safety or security reasons or required by governmental regulations, shall be extinguished not later than 9:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5003439; v76 updated 2026-08-26; through 08-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
, carving out only lighting of roads and buildings that is essential for safety or security or required by other governmental regulations. The I-2 Light Industrial District and I-3 Industrial District, at §§ 280-70H and 280-71H respectively, each adopt this same section by direct cross-reference, stating it is the same as for the I-1 District, so the shielding-and-curfew rule reaches every acre of industrially zoned land in Glen Cove, not just one district. The same subsection of § 280-69H also bans any use that emits odors, dust, gas, fumes, radiation, vibration or noise detrimental to the community or inconsistent with state or federal standards, and requires a planting screen at least four feet wide and eight feet high where an industrial use sits next to a residential district.
Read together, the lighting rule functions as Glen Cove's closest equivalent to a dark-sky ordinance: it does not regulate fixture type, but it forces industrial operators to point light fixtures inward and off their property line, and to cut nonessential lighting after evening hours rather than illuminating around the clock.
Violations & Fines
Leaving unshielded lighting on past 9:00 p.m. without a safety, security or regulatory justification is a violation of Chapter 280 punishable under § 280-74: a $1,000 to $2,000 fine or up to 15 days in jail for a first offense, escalating to $3,500 to $5,000 for a third offense within five years, with each week of noncompliance counted as a separate violation the Director of the Building Department can enforce by notice, injunction or abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Glen Cove have a dark-sky ordinance?
Does the 9 p.m. lighting curfew apply outside the I-1 district?
Can a business keep security lights on all night?
What is the penalty for an unshielded floodlight?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glen Cove
New York rules heatmap·Compare Glen Cove to another location·View the New York outdoor lighting overview
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