Brevard County enforces sea turtle-safe lighting on beachside properties May 1-October 31 under Code Ch. 62. Coastal lighting must be shielded, amber/red LED, low mounted. Inland properties follow general dark-sky principles.
Brevard County has one of Florida's most important sea turtle nesting beaches (Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, Melbourne Beach, Canaveral National Seashore). Code Ch. 62 Sea Turtle Protection Ordinance requires strict beachfront lighting compliance May 1-October 31: fully shielded fixtures, long-wavelength amber/red LEDs (590 nm or longer, 560K color temp), low mounting, no lights visible from beach. Properties east of A1A fall under strictest requirements. Window tinting or blackout coverings required for beachfront homes. The Brevard Zoo Sea Turtle Healing Center rescues hatchlings disoriented by light pollution. Inland properties follow general outdoor lighting rules with encouraged use of shielded fixtures and lower color temperatures. Kennedy Space Center and CCSFS have aerospace-related lighting controls.
Sea turtle lighting violation: $500-$2,500 per night plus federal Endangered Species Act charges. Non-compliant beachfront fixtures: 30-day correction then $500+ daily fines. Turtle disorientation events: additional FWC investigation.
Melbourne, FL
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See how Melbourne's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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