Norfolk County does not regulate outdoor lighting. Several towns (Dover, Sherborn, Medfield) have dark-sky bylaws. State-level, MGL c. 40 §21 enables local light pollution control.
Outdoor lighting regulation in Norfolk County is municipal. MA has no statewide dark-sky law; MGL c. 40 §21 enables towns to regulate. Rural Norfolk County towns — Dover, Sherborn, Medfield, Walpole, and portions of Canton — have adopted dark-sky or outdoor lighting bylaws requiring fully shielded (full-cutoff) fixtures, maximum color temperature 3000K, and limits on lumen output. Brookline has a commercial lighting bylaw. Most urban Norfolk County towns (Quincy, Weymouth) rely on zoning bylaw and general nuisance authority. The IESNA RP-33 Lighting for Exterior Environments is commonly referenced. State building code 780 CMR Chapter 11 addresses lighting energy standards. Several towns are IDA-recognized dark-sky communities.
No county enforcement. Municipal non-compliant fixtures: 30-day notice to correct, $100-$500 fines thereafter. Commercial violations: permit revocation possible. Repeat: escalating daily fines.
Norfolk County, MA
Norfolk County does not regulate amplified music. Each municipality requires entertainment licenses or one-day amplified sound permits under MGL c. 140 §183A...
Norfolk County, MA
Norfolk County does not handle abandoned vehicles. MGL c. 90B §2 allows police to remove abandoned vehicles after 72 hours. Quincy, Brookline, and Weymouth t...
Norfolk County, MA
Norfolk County does not regulate chickens or livestock. Each town sets its own rules via zoning and board of health regulations. Suburban towns often restric...
Norfolk County, MA
Brookline enacted the first MA town-wide ban on new artificial turf on town property (2023 Town Meeting Art. 14). Other Norfolk County towns allow turf resid...
Norfolk County, MA
Norfolk County does not restrict rainwater harvesting. MA has no statewide restrictions on residential rain barrel or cistern use. Many Norfolk County towns ...
Norfolk County, MA
Norfolk County has no native plant rule. MA Pollinator Plan and Stretch Code encourage natives. Brookline and Quincy offer climate-resilient landscape guidan...
See how Norfolk County's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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