Newport News has no dark-sky or light-pollution ordinance. Outdoor lighting is regulated only through zoning code § 45-3002, which requires parking-lot lights to be shielded inward to prevent glare on adjacent properties and rights-of-way.
Newport News Code of Ordinances Ch. 45 (Zoning Ordinance) § 45-3002, located in Article XXX (Off-Street Parking and Loading Regulations), is the primary outdoor lighting provision. It requires that wherever lighting is installed on a site, fixtures must be erected and shielded to direct light inward toward the property and prevent glare from reaching adjacent properties or public rights-of-way. No foot-candle limits, color temperature requirements, or dark-sky certification standards are specified. The city has not adopted a standalone light-pollution ordinance or joined the IDA Dark Sky Places program. Virginia state law (§ 15.2-920) authorizes localities to regulate lighting near astronomical facilities, but Newport News has not enacted such rules.
No dedicated penalty schedule for lighting violations; unshielded lighting creating a nuisance may be addressed as a zoning violation, subject to Class 1 misdemeanor fines up to $2,500 per day of continued violation.
Newport News, VA
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See how Newport News's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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