Kenner, LA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

The Unified Development Code's exterior lighting standards require that the light source itself be concealed and not visible from any street or adjacent lot or site; to direct light downward and minimize spill into the night sky and onto adjacent streets, lots, or sites, the code mandates that all light fixtures citywide be cutoff fixtures. Beyond the general concealment and cutoff mandate, the article bans several specific lighting types outright regardless of district: laser source light or similarly high-intensity light projected above the horizontal for outdoor advertising or entertainment is prohibited, as is the operation of searchlights for advertising purposes.

Commercial landscape lighting angled above the 90-degree plane is barred to prevent excessive glare, and no security floodlighting is permitted from any building, structure, improvement, or light standard on a lot. Building-mounted fixtures get their own shielding rules: no fixture may be mounted above the roof fascia or the top of a parapet wall, canopy fixtures must use recessed lenses flush with the canopy underside so the light source itself is not visible, and wall-pack fixtures in loading or service areas cannot exceed ten feet above grade and must carry sharp cutoff shields.

Commercial, industrial, and mixed-use projects must submit a lighting plan with their site plan review before applying for a building permit, giving the Department of Inspections and Code Enforcement a checkpoint to confirm cutoff compliance before construction.