Irving, TX Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cutoff angle limit
- 90 degrees maximum on shielded fixtures
- Applies to
- State Highway 161 overlay district only
- Banned fixtures
- Cobra head, galvanized poles, arms over 4 ft
- Color standard
- Minimum 2,800 Kelvin white light
- Max fine
- $2,000 per day, Code § 1-6
- Grandfather date
- March 22, 2012 for existing structures
Summary
New development in Irving's State Highway 161 overlay district must shield every outdoor fixture with skirts or cutoffs capped at a 90-degree angle so glare stays off neighboring property. Cobra-head fixtures, galvanized poles, and light arms over four feet are banned, and non-security lighting must dim or shut off after business hours.
Concealment and shielding. Light sources shall be concealed or shielded with luminaries containing skirts, shielding or cut-offs with a cutoff angle not exceeding ninety (90) degrees to minimize the potential for glare and unnecessary diffusion of adjacent property. The angle shall be measured using a line drawn from the direction of light rays at the light source or reflector, and a line perpendicular to the ground from the light source above from which no light is emitted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4988517; v32 updated 2026-07-30).
Full Breakdown
3 creates the State Highway 161 overlay district, a corridor running through Segments I, II and III of the SH 161/PGBT right-of-way near Las Colinas, with DFW International Airport-owned land specifically excluded. Subsection (f), Lighting regulations, applies to that corridor: exterior lighting is not required except for public safety, but any lighting that is installed must be concealed or shielded with a cutoff angle not exceeding 90 degrees, measured from the light source to a line perpendicular to the ground, so no unshielded light escapes above that plane.
3(f)(2) bars 'cobra head' fixtures, galvanized metal poles, and arm lengths greater than four feet, requiring instead a style consistent with the overlay's design theme, subject to the director's approval for architectural styles matching on-site buildings. 3(f)(9) requires all outdoor light not needed for security to be reduced, put on motion-sensor activation, or turned off after normal business hours, and (f)(11) mandates white light at a minimum 2,800 Kelvin color standard in parking and loading areas while banning low-pressure and high-pressure sodium vapor lighting outright.
3(i)(1); single-family homes standing on March 22, 2012 keep the zoning provisions they were built under when repaired or remodeled, and multifamily buildings from that date remain conforming under the rules in place when their original permit issued.
Violations & Fines
Lighting that isn't shielded, or that uses a banned fixture style, is a zoning violation under Code of Civil and Criminal Ordinances § 1-6: since it arises under the zoning ordinance, it carries a fine up to $2,000 rather than the general $500 cap, and each day the noncompliant fixture stays up counts as a separate offense. Irving's Building Official reviews lighting plans during site plan and permit review before construction proceeds in the overlay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Irving require dark-sky shielding on all outdoor lights citywide?
What lighting fixtures are banned in the SH 161 overlay?
Do older buildings have to retrofit their outdoor lighting?
What happens if a business in the overlay ignores the shielding rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Irving
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Irving to another location·View the Texas outdoor lighting overview
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