Hendersonville, TN Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

The City of Hendersonville's outdoor lighting framework is in Chapter 46, Article VI of the Hendersonville Code of Ordinances (the City's outdoor lighting standards), and is administered by the Department of Planning. The standards apply to all new exterior lighting installed after the ordinance's effective date and within the zoning jurisdiction of the City. Core technical requirements: (1) lighting levels and placement must be designed in accordance with applicable Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) recommended practices; (2) lighting must be designed to an Uplight ratio of zero (0) - meaning fixtures must direct zero light above the horizontal plane (effectively a full-cutoff requirement); (3) lighting must be designed to limit Backlight trespass to adjacent properties; (4) lighting facilities must be aimed, directed, shielded, or arranged so that light sources do not cause undue glare on neighboring properties or interfere with the safe use of public rights-of-way. The standard exceptions are: lighting for flagpoles; sports facilities; temporary construction sites; correctional facilities; lighting used solely for the illumination of signage; lighting as needed under emergency conditions; low-voltage landscape lighting; temporary seasonal lighting (e.g., holiday lights); and ornamental lighting (which remains subject to the City's specific decorative-lighting standards). The Hendersonville Zoning Ordinance (Title 14 / Code of Ordinances Chapter 46) also includes related design standards for street lighting including decorative period-style fixtures and effective optics. Hendersonville is not listed on DarkSky International's roster of certified lighting codes and has not adopted a stand-alone DarkSky Model Lighting Ordinance; however, the zero-uplight requirement and IES-based design standard align closely with dark-sky principles. The nearest Tennessee International Dark Sky Park is Pickett State Park (designated by DarkSky International as Tennessee's first IDA-recognized Dark Sky Park). Hendersonville's lakeside location on Old Hickory Lake places navigation-light obligations on private vessels and docks under federal Coast Guard/Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency rules rather than the City's lighting ordinance.