Porter County, IN Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Porter County's dark-sky style lighting standard is folded into the same lighting chapter as its light-trespass cap, effective June 15, 2007. Section 5.28 LT-01(A)(3)(a) governs how buildings can be lit: 'The external illumination of any structure shall be done using full cut-off, fully-shielded, wall-mounted luminaires. Up-lighting from ground-mounted fixtures is prohibited.' That single sentence eliminates the classic uplit facade look anywhere in unincorporated Porter County. The general luminaire rule in §5.28 LT-01(A)(5) reinforces it for every outdoor fixture covered by the chapter: 'All luminaires shall be full cutoff and fully-shielded.' The shielding requirement extends into glare control: any light fixture must be shielded to prevent direct lighting on streets, alleys, and adjacent properties, and the shielding component has to be permanently affixed to the fixture rather than a removable accessory (§5.28 LT-01(A)(4)).

Parking lots get their own version of the same standard in §5.28 LT-01(B): fixtures must be consistent in color, size, height, and design; must use full cutoff, fully shielded luminaires; and cannot exceed twenty-five feet in height measured to the bottom of the luminaire. Sign lighting is covered too. Ground fixtures that illuminate signs must be shielded so light does not project past the sign face, using the minimum wattage necessary, with the fixture and bulb hidden from the view of any street, sidewalk, parking lot, or adjacent property (§5.28 LT-01(A)(3)(b)).