New Rochelle, NY Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

City Code § 331-22 covers every exterior fixture installed, replaced, or repaired since the section was last amended March 15, 2016. Canopy lights such as service-station canopies must be fully recessed or fully shielded, all area lights must be full cutoff fixtures, and unshielded wall packs and floodlights are barred outright on nonresidential property. All exterior lighting generally must use full cutoff fixtures with the light source pointed down and the fixture mounted level with the horizontal plane. Carve-outs exist for unshielded residential fixtures no brighter than one 60-watt incandescent bulb, residential floodlights under 1,800 lumens angled no more than 45 degrees off vertical, seasonal lighting lit only between November 15 and January 15, motion-sensor residential fixtures that shut off within five minutes and aren't triggered by activity off the property, FAA-required tower lighting at the lowest allowed intensity, and narrow-beam flag spotlighting.

No fixture anywhere may rise higher than 20 feet. Privately owned fixtures on public utility poles or in the right-of-way are prohibited. 5 and 5 footcandles at pavement level. Nonresidential nonconforming fixtures had to be brought into compliance within six months of the 2017 amendment. Any nonresidential lighting change needs the Building Official's approval and a post-installation check by the Code Enforcement Officer, and site plan, special permit, or building permit applications must include fixture locations, cutoff specs, lamp wattage and lumens, mounting heights, shielding details, a footcandle grid, operating hours, and manufacturer cut sheets.