Grapevine, TX Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Grapevine's Zoning Ordinance includes outdoor lighting standards designed to reduce glare, light trespass, and sky glow. New commercial and multi-family developments must use full-cutoff or shielded fixtures that direct light downward, with no light source visible above the horizontal plane of the fixture. Maximum illumination levels are specified at property lines, typically 0.5 to 1.0 foot-candles at property lines adjoining residential districts. Parking lots, canopies (including gas station canopies), and building-mounted lights must conform to cutoff and maximum wattage or lumens-per-square-foot standards. Uplighting for signs and building features is restricted, and no floodlight may cause direct glare onto adjacent property. Single-family residential lighting is not subject to the same quantitative standards but is still governed by the nuisance ordinance: lights cannot be aimed so as to shine directly into a neighbor's windows or create unreasonable disturbance. Because of proximity to DFW Airport and Grapevine Lake, certain areas have additional requirements to avoid interference with aviation or lake navigation. Holiday lighting displays are generally exempt between November 1 and January 15. Complaints about lighting are handled by Code Enforcement and the Planning Division. Variances are possible through the Board of Zoning Adjustment.