Loveland, CO Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

01 first requires a point-by-point lighting plan for all commercial building permits and for development containing multi-family buildings with three or more units, commercial, industrial, or institutional uses, though the Director may waive it based on site size, adjacent land uses, and proposed lighting levels. A requires exterior fixtures, including roadway, street, parking lot, walkway, and building-mounted lights, to be full cut-off with flat lenses and shielded so all light falls on the illuminated surface or the ground; the Director may approve non-cutoff fixtures where a specific architectural style warrants it and glare is minimized, and the DT zone allows unshielded decorative lighting up to 12 feet above grade.

1 foot-candle increase measured up to 20 feet beyond the property line, and lighting aimed at residential property must be shielded or redirected so it is not disturbing or a nuisance. Subsection D bars animated, flashing, or changing-intensity lights as nuisance lighting, except for temporary holiday displays, and subsection E shuts off exterior lighting between 10:00 PM and sunrise unless needed for safety or security or to support a use still operating after 10:00 PM. 06 lets the Director require a lighting inspection before a certificate of occupancy issues to confirm the approved plan was followed.