Pompano Beach, FL Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

G, Illumination Direction and Shielding, governs how exterior fixtures must be built and aimed citywide. Upwardly-directed lighting used to illuminate a building facade must use low-wattage architectural or decorative fixtures so the light stays contained by the structure and is not visible above the roofline. Fixtures lighting flags, statues, or objects on a pole or pedestal must use a narrow cone beam that does not extend past the object itself, and any light source forming a lineal pattern must be recessed within the structure housing it.

The core shielding rule is numeric: any light source or lamp emitting more than 900 lumens must be concealed or shielded with a full cut-off style fixture with an angle not exceeding 90 degrees, specifically to minimize glare and unnecessary light diffusion onto adjacent properties and streets. Flickering or flashing exterior lights are banned outright except for temporary seasonal decorative lighting under subsection H. Wall pack lights on building exteriors get their own rule in subsection I: they must be fully shielded with a true cut-off bulb or a light source not visible from off-site, aimed vertically downward, and limited to 900 lumens or less.

Development Services can approve a deviation only for government maintenance facilities, public safety facilities, and similarly sensitive sites under a site security plan, and only after finding the deviation is the minimum necessary and won't harm neighboring land. 5 feet in single-family (RS-), RD-1, and MH-12 districts, 20 feet in multifamily (RM-) districts, and 30 feet elsewhere. 2407.