Kirkwood, MO Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Section 25-52 of the Kirkwood Code of Ordinances sets outdoor lighting standards meant to cut glare and light trespass onto neighboring properties. Under § 25-52(d)(4), except for outdoor performance areas, sport and recreation facilities and playfields, every lighting fixture installed must be at minimum full cutoff, meaning no light is permitted at or above a horizontal plane at the bottom of the fixture. The requirement applies under § 25-52(b) to all new outdoor lighting fixtures and to replacements of existing fixtures citywide, triggered whenever a new building, an addition equal to 50% or more of the original footprint, or a renovation equal to 50% or more of the appraised improvement value (per the St.

Louis County Assessor) is proposed; single-family dwellings and their accessory structures are exempt under § 25-52(c)(8). Canopies such as those at service stations must use recessed or flush lens fixtures, or a surface-mounted flat-glass fixture providing full cutoff, per § 25-52(d)(3). Pole-mounted fixtures within 20 feet of a lot line are capped at 16 feet in height, and those farther than 20 feet are capped at 24 feet, measured to the top of the fixture including any pedestal, under § 25-52(d)(2). All fixtures are also capped at a Correlated Color Temperature of 2,700 Kelvin under § 25-52(d)(9). Where topography could cause light to spill onto neighboring properties, § 25-52(d)(5) authorizes the City to impose additional shielding beyond these baseline standards.