Iowa City, IA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Shielding trigger
- Bulbs over 2,000 lumens must be fully shielded
- Fixture height near homes
- 25 ft within 300 ft of residential zone
- Light trespass limit
- 0.5-2.0 foot-candles at residential line
- Banned outright
- Laser lights, searchlights, mercury vapor bulbs
- Sports field lighting curfew
- Off by 11:00 P.M. absent event in progress
Summary
Iowa City requires most outdoor bulbs over 2,000 lumens to be fully shielded, bans floodlighting for parking and display areas, and outlaws laser lights, searchlights, and mercury vapor bulbs outright. Fixtures near homes also face strict height and glare limits.
1. All bulbs that exceed two thousand (2000) lumens must be fully shielded as installed. 2. ... Unshielded or partially shielded bulbs that are two thousand (2000) lumens or less must be frosted glass or be installed behind a translucent cover. ... 1. ... Except for lighting of loading areas, service areas, and for architectural emphasis, floodlighting is prohibited. Floodlights are not permitted for the illumination of parking or outdoor product display areas.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-26: Code current through: Ord. 26-4985, passed May 19, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Article G of chapter 5 sets Iowa City's outdoor lighting standards. Section 14-5G-4's physical controls cap fixture height at 25 feet within 300 feet of a residential zone and 35 feet farther away, and require every bulb exceeding 2,000 lumens to be fully shielded as installed; unshielded or partially shielded bulbs at or below that threshold must use frosted glass or a translucent cover. Floodlighting is prohibited citywide except for loading areas, service areas, and architectural emphasis, and it is never allowed to illuminate parking or outdoor product display areas; where floodlights are permitted, they must be aimed no higher than 45 degrees from vertical.
0 horizontal foot-candle for building-code-required lighting near the line. Section 14-5G-6 bans laser lights, searchlights, and mercury vapor bulbs outright, with no exceptions listed. except during an event in progress.
Violations & Fines
Installing an unshielded high-lumen fixture, floodlighting a parking lot, exceeding the light-trespass foot-candle limits at a residential property line, or using a laser light, searchlight, or mercury vapor bulb violates article G of the zoning code and is enforced as a municipal infraction under section 1-4-2, with civil penalties of $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second, and $500 for a third and later offense, each day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Iowa City require outdoor light fixtures to be shielded?
Can a business floodlight its parking lot in Iowa City?
Are mercury vapor lights legal in Iowa City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Iowa City
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