Unincorporated Lake County's UDO has no general residential dark-sky ordinance. The only codified downward-shielding standard applies to solar farms, which must shield operational lighting away from adjacent properties and aim it downward. For homes, standards come from your city or town; the county limits commercial-style lighting on home occupations.
The Lake County UDO does not impose a countywide dark-sky or full-cutoff standard on ordinary homes. Its clearest shielding rule is in section 154-8-060 for solar farms, which must direct operational lighting downward and shield it from neighbors. The home-occupation rules (154-9-090.F.10) prohibit 'the addition of commercial-like exterior lighting' that changes a lot's residential character, and wind turbines and aircraft-related uses may only be lit as the FAA requires. Sign lighting must be constant, and search/strobe/flashing lights visible from the right-of-way are prohibited (154-15-020). Residents in incorporated cities and towns (Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, Merrillville, etc.) should check municipal lighting codes, which govern most Lake County land.
Where a UDO lighting standard applies (e.g., solar farms, home occupations), violations follow the 15-day cure notice and citation penalties up to $2,500 first / $7,500 subsequent under IC 36-1-3-8.
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