Mobile, AL Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Spillover cap
- 0.2 foot-candle onto residential land
- Max intensity
- 60 foot-candles outdoors, citywide
- Banned fixtures
- search lights, lasers, strobe lights
- Governing law
- UDC § 64-3-9, Article 3
Summary
Mobile's development code requires site, parking lot, and outdoor recreation lighting near residential areas to be shielded, cast downward, and fitted with cut-off devices so no more than 0.2 foot-candle spills onto neighboring homes.
(d)Site and parking lot lighting fixtures shall be designed and installed to cast light downward. Flag pole, tree lighting and architectural accent lighting are allowed to cast light upward, subject to compliance with all other requirements of this chapter.(e)Where necessary, cut-off devices shall be used to minimize glare off premises. ...(g)High intensity light beams (i.e., outdoor search lights, lasers or strobe lights) are prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
Mobile's Unified Development Code regulates outdoor lighting for non-residential site and parking lot lighting that adjoins a residential district, plus outdoor recreation facilities. Fixtures must be designed to cast light downward, use cut-off devices to minimize off-site glare, and be aimed to avoid disability glare; high-intensity search lights, lasers, and strobes are banned outright. The code caps spillover at two-tenths of a foot-candle on adjoining residential property and sets an absolute ceiling of 60 foot-candles anywhere outdoors. It does not reach ordinary homeowner porch or yard lights outside those specific triggers. Compliance is certified before a certificate of occupancy issues.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliant lighting plans can be denied a certificate of occupancy, and the city may withhold permits, issue stop-work orders, or prosecute continuing violations as a municipal offense under UDC Article 7.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mobile require full cut-off light fixtures?
Does this rule cover my home's porch light?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mobile
Compare Mobile to another location·View the Alabama outdoor lighting overview
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