Hanover County, VA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Section 26-269 of the Zoning Ordinance sets Hanover County's general lighting requirements for every commercial, industrial and other non-residential use; single-family residential and agricultural uses are exempt under Section 26-267. Every free-standing or building-mounted light on a covered site must use downward-directional full cutoff fixtures, which the code defines in Section 26-268 as emitting zero percent of their light above ninety degrees from horizontal and no more than five percent above eighty degrees, the standard for eliminating uplight and sky glow. 5 foot-candles above background levels, though that limit does not apply where the property line abuts business or industrial zoned land.

Light sources must be shielded from direct view from adjoining residential districts and from any public right-of-way. Commercial and industrial sites that operate during any hour of darkness must also submit a full photometric lighting plan with fixture specifications, foot-candle plots on a ten-by-ten-foot grid, and the site's light uniformity ratio. After business hours, site lighting must be reduced to the minimum level needed for security, ingress and egress, and areas such as drop-boxes, and cannot exceed the light levels used during operating hours. The Planning Department reviews these lighting plans at site plan approval, and the Director can require adjustments before a permit issues.