Olathe, KS Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Fixture type
- full cut-off required
- Cutoff angle
- no light above 90° from nadir
- Max pole height
- 30 ft (20 ft near homes)
- Applies to
- parking lots over 20 spaces
Summary
Olathe requires full cut-off light fixtures producing no light above 90 degrees from nadir for parking lots over 20 spaces, with a 30-foot pole height cap cut to 20 feet near homes.
All light fixtures, for general area lighting, must be full cut-off type fixtures, which do not produce any light above 90 degrees from nadir (nadir being the angle pointing directly downward from the luminaire or fixture), equipped with flat lenses; and with fixed, nonadjustable, mounting arms or brackets. Light fixtures for landscaping lighting and decorative building lighting may allow light above 90 degrees from nadir.
2. The style of light poles and fixtures must highlight, complement, and reinforce landscape and architectural design as focal points of interest. However, all multi-family and non-residential sites within the “Original Town” Overlay District, where a parking area or lot is part of a redevelopment for a final site development plan as approved by the Planning Commission, must have antique globe/coach style light poles and fixtures as approved by the Planning Official. The following actions are exempt from installing such style light poles and fixtures of parking areas or lots for redevelopment: a parking lot permit not part of a new final site development plan approval, administrative review process, routine maintenance, existing site light pole and fixture consistency, and those situations deemed approved by the Planning Official.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-39, passed July 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Olathe's Unified Development Ordinance imposes dark-sky-style shielding on commercial and multi-family lighting rather than a standalone lighting-pollution chapter. Parking areas with more than 20 spaces must use full cut-off fixtures that emit no light above 90 degrees from nadir, fitted with flat lenses and fixed, nonadjustable mounting arms: landscaping and decorative building lighting are exempt from that cutoff. Pole height tops out at 30 feet for commercial, office and multi-family sites, dropping to 20 feet where the lot sits next to residential development. Applicants must submit a point-by-point photometric plan and, for fixtures abutting residential property, a fixture cut sheet before final site development plan approval.
Violations & Fines
Non-cutoff or glare-producing fixtures fail final site development plan review; the required photometric plan and, where applicable, fixture cut sheet must demonstrate compliance before permits issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Olathe require shielded outdoor lighting?
How tall can parking lot light poles be in Olathe?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Olathe
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Dark Sky Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Johnson County handle dark sky rules.