York County has no dark-sky ordinance for private homes. New development must submit a master lighting plan under Zoning Code Section 155.079, and illuminated outdoor-recreation uses must sit 500 feet from off-parcel homes under Section 155.501.
South Carolina has no statewide dark-sky law, and York County does not require shielded or full-cutoff fixtures on individual houses. The county's lighting controls apply to development, not homeowners. Zoning Code Section 155.079 requires a master lighting plan with the site plan in special districts, specifying fixture type, location, and mounting height. Zoning Code Section 155.501 keeps any illuminated outdoor recreation and amusement use at least 500 feet from dwelling units on other parcels. Airport-area rules ban upward-directed and glare-producing lights. Neighborhood dark-sky expectations otherwise come from HOA covenants, common in the Fort Mill and Lake Wylie subdivisions.
The county reviews lighting at the site-plan and permit stage; a noncompliant commercial lighting plan is denied or corrected. No dark-sky citation is issued to an ordinary homeowner.
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York County, SC
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York County, SC
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York County, SC
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