Queen Anne's County, MD Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- No cutoff, residential
- 12 feet maximum luminaire height
- No cutoff, nonresidential
- 20 feet maximum luminaire height
- Total cutoff, nongrowth nonresidential
- 30 feet maximum luminaire height
- Recreation fields
- Exempt up to 80 feet with shielding
- Lighting plan
- Required when a light is installed or substantially modified
- Civil fine
- Preset fine up to $500, each day separate
Summary
In unincorporated Queen Anne's County, Maryland, the maximum height of an exterior luminaire depends on shielding: 12 feet residential and 20 feet nonresidential with no cutoff, and 20 to 30 feet when the luminaire has a total cutoff below 90 degrees and the bulb is shielded from view. Public street lighting and specified recreation fields are exempt.
C. Exterior lighting standards. (1) Exterior lighting shall meet the following standards. (a) If a luminaire has no cutoff, then the maximum permitted height of the luminaire shall be: Standard Maximum Permitted Height of Luminaire (feet) Residential uses 12 Nonresidential uses 20 (b) If a luminaire has a total cutoff of light at an angle less than 90° and is located so that the bare light bulb, lamp, or light source is completely shielded from the direct view of an observer five feet above the ground at the point where the cutoff angle intersects the ground, then the maximum permitted height of the luminaire shall be: Standard Maximum Permitted Height of Luminaire (feet) Nongrowth area residential uses 20 Nongrowth area nonresidential uses 30 Growth area residential uses 30
Full Breakdown
Section 18:1-85 is the County's exterior lighting article. Its stated purpose in subsection A is to regulate the spillover of light and glare on operators of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and land uses in the proximity of the light source, with safety driving the rules for motor vehicles and both nuisance and hazard aspects of glare regulated in other cases. Subsection B applies the standards to all exterior lighting, except outdoor public street lighting and recreational uses exempted under subsection D.
The height limit turns on shielding. Under § 18:1-85C(1)(a), a luminaire with no cutoff can be no taller than 12 feet for residential uses and 20 feet for nonresidential uses. Under § 18:1-85C(1)(b), a luminaire with a total cutoff of light at an angle less than 90 degrees, located so that the bare light bulb, lamp, or light source is completely shielded from the direct view of an observer five feet above the ground at the point where the cutoff angle intersects the ground, can reach 20 feet for nongrowth area residential uses, 30 feet for nongrowth area nonresidential uses, and 30 feet for growth area residential uses.
Ball diamonds, playing fields, and tennis courts are exempt from the subsection C standards if the Planning Commission, during site plan review, is satisfied that they meet all other requirements. Their lighting cannot exceed a luminaire height of 80 feet, and a cutoff angle beyond 90 degrees is allowed only if the luminaire is shielded in its orientation or by a landscaped buffer yard to prevent spillover onto adjacent residential property.
Subsection E adds that flickering or flashing lights may not be permitted and that light sources or luminaires cannot sit within buffer yard areas except on pedestrian walkways. Subsection F requires an exterior lighting plan to be submitted to the County when an exterior light is installed or substantially modified, and whenever a zoning certificate is sought. These rules apply in unincorporated Queen Anne's County, including Kent Island; Centreville, Queenstown and the other towns have their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Lighting that breaks the height or cutoff standards violates a performance standard of Chapter 18:1 and is a civil zoning violation under § 18:1-212, with a preset fine not to exceed $500. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate violation, and an unpaid fine adds a further fine equal to twice the original. The Planning Director, Zoning Administrator, or a designated Department of Planning and Zoning employee issues the citation, and the County Attorney prosecutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a light pole be at a house in unincorporated Queen Anne's County?
What counts as a cutoff luminaire?
Are ball fields held to the same lighting standards?
Do I need to file a lighting plan?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Queen Anne's County
Compare Queen Anne's County to another location·View the Maryland outdoor lighting overview
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