Lakeville, MN Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Lakeville regulates outdoor lighting under City Code section 11-16-17 (Exterior Lighting), part of the zoning ordinance's general performance standards. The rules are aimed at controlling glare and spillover. For lighting that illuminates off-street parking areas, structures, or areas in commercial, industrial, and institutional uses, the light fixture must contain a cutoff that directs the light at an angle of 90 degrees or less - a full-cutoff approach that keeps light pointed downward rather than out toward the sky or neighbors. Where a light fixture is located within 30 feet of residentially zoned property, additional shielding is required on the property-line side of the fixture, below the 90-degree cutoff, to direct light away from the residential property. Direct or reflected glare from high-temperature processes such as combustion or welding must not be visible from any adjoining property. The ordinance includes exceptions for items such as temporary holiday lighting, government-required lighting for aircraft operations, emergency lighting, flag illumination, and public parks and recreational facilities operated by the City of Lakeville or designated school districts. While Lakeville is not a formally designated 'dark-sky' community, these cutoff, shielding, and glare provisions function to reduce light pollution and protect neighbors. Property owners planning exterior lighting for non-residential uses should design fixtures to meet the 90-degree cutoff and shielding standards.