Knox County has no formal dark-sky ordinance, but its Zoning Ordinance requires outdoor lighting for parking, storage, display, or security to be shielded and aimed away from residential property, reducing glare, light trespass, and overlighting. Sign lighting near residential zones must be indirect or non-reflective.
The Knox County Zoning Ordinance addresses outdoor lighting in its performance standards. It states lighting shall reduce the impacts of glare, light trespass, and overlighting, promote safety and security, and encourage energy conservation, and shall not interfere with vehicle operation in the public right-of-way or with adjacent land uses. The light source must be shielded and arranged so lighting is directed away from any lot boundary adjacent to residentially zoned property. Sign provisions add that no illuminated sign is permitted within 300 feet of residential-zoned property unless designed not to shine or reflect onto it. Knox County has not adopted a comprehensive dark-sky/International Dark-Sky lighting code; these shielding rules are the governing standard.
Non-compliant lighting is enforced through zoning and site-plan review by Knoxville-Knox County Planning and the county Department of Code Administration.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville has no general City Code ordinance restricting lawn ornaments, garden statues, religious displays, or yard decorations on private residential prope...
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville has no City Code ordinance specifically regulating inflatable holiday displays on private residential property. Inflatables must stay within the pr...
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville has no dedicated City Code ordinance regulating the timing, brightness, or quantity of residential holiday light displays. General electrical safet...
Knoxville, TN
Permanent outdoor kitchens in Knoxville require Plans Review & Inspections permits when they include gas lines, plumbing, electrical work, or structures. Nat...
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville treats wood smokers, pellet grills, and other solid-fuel cooking equipment under the 2024 International Fire Code as adopted in City Code Chapter 1...
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville has adopted the 2024 International Fire Code under City Code Chapter 11, Article II (Sections 11-21 to 11-22), effective January 2025. IFC Section ...
See how Knoxville's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.