Howard County's Zoning Regulations Section 134.0 requires most outdoor light fixtures to be fully or partially shielded to reduce glare and skyglow. The rules apply mainly to commercial, industrial, and parking-area lighting, and to parking or loading lighting in residential districts, rather than typical home fixtures.
Zoning Regulations Section 134.0 is adopted to minimize glare and reduce light spillover beyond its intended area. Except for spotlights and defined low-intensity lights, all light fixtures must be fully or partially shielded; a fully shielded fixture emits no light above a horizontal plane through the lowest part of the lamp. The section applies to outdoor lighting in commercial, business, industrial, and mixed-use districts, and in residential districts to parking or loading areas and approved conditional-use sites. Lighting used to illuminate off-street parking must direct light down and away from adjoining residential lots and public streets. Ordinary single-family home fixtures are not directly regulated, though the county's general nuisance and light-trespass limits still apply, and villages or homeowner associations may
Nonconforming commercial or parking lighting can be cited under the zoning outdoor-lighting standards; the Director of Planning and Zoning may require compliant fixtures or an approved alternative lighting plan.
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