Montgomery County, PA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- County dark-sky rule
- None: municipal only
- Authority
- MPC Section 603(b)
- Common requirement
- Full-cutoff/shielded fixtures
- Found in
- Zoning or SALDO ordinance
- Who to ask
- Township/borough zoning officer
Summary
Montgomery County has no dark-sky ordinance. Outdoor-lighting and full-cutoff fixture requirements, where they exist, are adopted by individual boroughs and townships under their zoning power. Check your municipality's lighting standards.
Zoning ordinances... may permit, prohibit, regulate, restrict and determine:... Size, height, bulk, location, erection, construction, repair, maintenance, alteration, razing, removal and use of structures.
Full Breakdown
Pennsylvania counties do not zone, so any dark-sky or outdoor-lighting standard comes from your borough or township, using the zoning authority in MPC Section 603(b) to regulate the design and use of structures and site development. Many Montgomery County municipalities have added lighting sections to their zoning or subdivision-and-land-development ordinances that require full-cutoff (shielded) fixtures, cap the height of pole lights, limit light levels at property lines, and sometimes require lights to be dimmed or off after business hours. There is no uniform countywide rule. Review your municipality's zoning or SALDO lighting section, or ask its zoning officer, for the fixture-shielding and light-level standards that apply.
Violations & Fines
Non-compliant lighting is a municipal zoning or land-development violation; the borough or township can require re-aiming or shielding of fixtures and impose fines under its ordinance. The county does not enforce lighting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Montgomery County require dark-sky lighting?
Where are lighting rules written?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
Compare Montgomery County to another location·View the Pennsylvania outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.