Reno requires full-cutoff, downward-shielded outdoor lighting for new development under Title 18. Uplighting is restricted. Hillside overlays apply the strictest standards to protect Sierra views.
Reno has adopted outdoor lighting standards in Municipal Code Title 18 to reduce light pollution, glare, and spillover onto adjacent properties and the night sky. New commercial, multi-family, and subdivision developments must use full-cutoff (FCO) or fully-shielded fixtures that direct light downward. Maximum lumen outputs per acre are set by zoning district, with stricter limits in residential and rural zones. Building facade uplighting is restricted in most districts; landscape and accent lighting must be aimed to avoid horizon leakage. Hillside overlay zones have the strictest outdoor lighting standards to protect views of the Sierra Nevada and reduce visual impact on rural hillsides. Color temperature restrictions favor warmer (3000K or lower) LEDs for outdoor lighting. Street lighting is being retrofit to shielded LED. While Reno is not a certified International Dark Sky community, it cooperates with nearby dark-sky efforts around Great Basin National Park and Lake Tahoe.
Non-compliant new lighting: permit denial, retrofit required. Glare complaints: code enforcement, shielding required. Commercial violations: daily fines.
Reno, NV
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See how Reno's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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