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Newark, NJ Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Shielding rule: All exterior fixtures must be shielded
Standard referenced: IES Lighting Handbook, current edition
Wiring: Underground for pole/freestanding fixtures
Section: § 41:16-6-1 & 41:16-6-2, Lighting
Adopted: Nov. 1, 2023, Ord. No. 6PSF-E

Summary

Every exterior light fixture on a non-residential, non-school Newark site must carry a shield that confines the light to the property and eliminates glare on neighbors and the street. The requirement sits in § 41:16-6-2, adopted alongside numeric footcandle caps for parking lots, entrances and property lines.

All exterior lighting fixtures, however mounted, shall be provided with shields as necessary to confine the illumination to the site upon which it is located to the standards set forth herein and to eliminate glare on any adjacent properties and to adjacent streets.

Source: Newark Municipal CodeView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5019615; v61 updated 2026-06-17; through 06-17-2026).

Full Breakdown

' Wiring from light poles and other freestanding fixtures must run underground under § 41:16-6-2(1)(b). ' Both sections were adopted November 1, 2023 by Ordinance No. 6PSF-E as part of the citywide rewrite of Newark's zoning design standards, and apply to site plan and subdivision applications reviewed by the Central Planning Board.

Violations & Fines

Lighting plans are checked at site plan review; under § 2:4-4.2 no permit issues without Zoning Officer approval of Title XLI compliance, and one issued without it is void. A fixture plan lacking shields, or a design that throws glare onto an adjacent property or street in violation of § 41:16-6-2(1)(c), is sent back for redesign before the Central Planning Board signs off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Newark require shielded lighting fixtures?

Yes. Section 41:16-6-2(1)(c) requires 'all exterior lighting fixtures, however mounted' to carry shields sufficient 'to confine the illumination to the site' and 'eliminate glare on any adjacent properties and to adjacent streets.' The requirement applies to site plan and subdivision applications reviewed under Title XLI.

What lighting standard does Newark's code reference?

Section 41:16-6-1(2) requires lighting design to 'conform to standards presented in the current edition of the Illuminating Engineering Society Lighting Handbook,' a nationally recognized engineering benchmark, in addition to the shielding and glare-minimization requirements in § 41:16-6-2.

Do residential lighting fixtures have to be shielded too?

The blanket nighttime-illumination mandate in § 41:16-6-2(1)(a) exempts residential and school structures, but the underground-wiring rule and the general glare-minimization language in § 41:16-6-1(3), which says lighting 'shall be designed to minimize glare and reflection on adjacent properties,' are not limited to non-residential sites.

Sources & Official References

[1]Newark, NJ Revised General Ordinances § 41:16-6-2 (eCode360)

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