Maple Grove, MN Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Fixtures
- Must be hooded/shielded
- Bare bulbs
- Banned in view of neighbors
- Residential limit
- 1 footcandle at property line
- Street limit
- 1 footcandle at street centerline
Summary
Maple Grove requires outdoor lighting to be hooded and aimed away from neighboring homes and streets, and caps light spilling onto residential property or public streets at one footcandle.
Any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area, sign or other structure shall be arranged so as to deflect light away from any adjoining residential zone or from the public streets. Direct or sky-reflected glare, where from floodlights or from high temperature processes such as combustion or welding, shall not be directed into any adjoining property. The source of lights shall be hooded or controlled in some manner so as not to light adjacent property. Bare incandescent lightbulbs shall not be permitted in view of adjacent property or public right-of-way.(b)Any light or combination of lights which cast light on a public street shall not exceed one footcandle (meter reading) as measured from the centerline of the street. Any light or combination of lights which cast light on residential property shall not exceed one footcandle (meter reading) as measured from such property. (Code 1984, § 375:12(9); Code 2003, § 36-819)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 36-793 requires that any lighting illuminating an off-street parking area, sign, or structure be arranged to deflect light away from adjoining residential zones and public streets, with fixtures hooded or otherwise controlled so they don't shine onto neighboring property; bare incandescent bulbs in view of adjacent property or the right-of-way are banned outright. Light measured at the property line, whether on a public street or residential lot, can't exceed one footcandle.
Violations & Fines
Unshielded floodlights, bare bulbs visible from a neighbor's yard, or lighting that reads above one footcandle at a residential property line violates § 36-793 and can be cited by code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Maple Grove have a dark-sky lighting law?
Are bare lightbulbs allowed on my house at night?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maple Grove
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