Jacksonville Beach, FL Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Sec. 6-8, the City of Jacksonville Beach Sea Turtle Protection Regulations, is the city's dark-sky rule. It protects nesting sea turtles and hatchlings from artificial light and applies in the sea turtle protection area, which runs from the Neptune Beach boundary at 20th Avenue North (Seagate Avenue) to the St. Johns County line at Duval Drive and Ponte Vedra Boulevard, from the Atlantic Ocean to a line 500 feet inland. Nesting season is May 1 through October 31.

New development or construction in that area, including remodeling that touches exterior lighting or glass, must certify compliance before a permit issues. Under paragraph (e), outdoor lighting must use FWC certified wildlife lighting approved lamps, bulbs, and fixtures held to the minimum necessary for security and safety. Motion detectors that switch lights off within five minutes are required, and floodlights and landscape or accent lights visible from the beach are prohibited. Fixtures within line-of-sight of the beach must be completely shielded downlight-only or recessed fixtures with low wattage, long wavelength sources, mounted as low as possible. Long wavelength means 560 nanometers or longer. Windows and glass doors visible from the beach need tinted glass with a light transmittance of fifteen (15) percent or less. Parking-area lights must sit on a base no higher than forty-eight (48) inches, and temporary construction lighting in nesting season cannot be mounted more than fifteen (15) feet above the ground.

Existing buildings must comply as well under paragraph (g), including reposition, shielding, or removal of fixtures. Dune crosswalk lights go off after 9:00 p.m. between May 1 and October 1. Publicly owned lights in public parking lots and the SeaWalk Pavilion must be shielded, shaded, or off from 11:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. Streetlights are outside the section, though the city intends them to be shielded.