Ascension Parish, LA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Ascension Parish addresses fixture shielding under Section 17-2088, Lighting standards, within the Development requirements article of the Unified Land Development Code, which governs the unincorporated parish. 3, labeled Commentary, directs developers and property owners in unincorporated Ascension Parish to evaluate their fixture design against two scenarios. A no cutoff luminaire, where the light source has no cutoff point, defined in the code as the point at which all light emitted is completely eliminated at a specific angle to the ground, can produce unsightly glare and create a safety hazard.

A less than 90-degree cutoff luminaire is called preferable because the design of the fixture ensures the light source is not visible off site. This cutoff guidance sits alongside the mandatory Section 17-2088(A)(2) standard requiring parking-area, sign and structure lighting to deflect away from adjoining residential zones and streets. Lighting plans and specifications must be submitted as part of a development-permit site plan under Section 17-2090(E)(1)(g)(vii) whenever a site plan is required, letting the Zoning Official review fixture design, including cutoff angle, before a permit issues.

Every parking lot in the parish must also conform to these exterior lighting standards under Section 17-2081(F)(4). Because the parish's cutoff commentary is phrased as guidance rather than a numeric lumen or footcandle cap, there is no adopted dark-sky ordinance by that name for unincorporated Ascension Parish: the code stops at recommending cutoff fixtures rather than mandating a specific cutoff angle.