Rock Island County, IL Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Max luminaire height
- 30 ft (33 ft with support)
- Height near housing
- 25 ft within 500 ft of residence
- Standard cutoff angle
- 90 degrees or less, all luminaires
- Parking-lot wall lighting cutoff
- 66 degrees absent a waiver
- Required hardware
- Lenses, deflectors, shields, or louvers
Summary
Rock Island County caps luminaire height and mandates cutoff angles and shielding hardware on exterior fixtures across the unincorporated county. Section 154.572 limits freestanding pole lights to 30 feet, cuts that to 25 feet near housing, and requires every fixture to carry a cutoff angle of 90 degrees or less.
(c) The proposed luminaire has a cutoff angle of less than or equal to 66 degrees. (2) Any open area used for motor vehicle parking, storage, or access shall be illuminated with freestanding luminaries. Freestanding luminaries are permitted to be a maximum of 30 feet in height with a three-foot support, for a maximum height from the ground of 33 feet. When a luminaire is located within 500 feet of a protected residential property, the maximum permitted luminaire height shall be 25 feet. ... All luminaries must have a total cutoff angle equal to or less than 90 degrees. ... (C) (3) The use of lenses, deflectors, shields, louvers, or prismatic control devices shall be used to eliminate nuisance and hazardous lighting to facilitate compliance with this requirement.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-1: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2024-12-A, passed 12-17-2024; and State legislation current through 2024 Illinois Legislative Service, Pamphlet #6).
Full Breakdown
572(A)(1). 572(A)(2); that maximum drops to 25 feet whenever the luminaire sits within 500 feet of a protected residential property, and every luminaire, regardless of type, must carry a total cutoff angle of 90 degrees or less. Low pressure sodium fixtures are barred from illuminating non-protected residential property unless the Police Department finds the color-distortion effect won't hinder crime prevention or investigation. 572(C)(3) requires physical shielding hardware, lenses, deflectors, shields, louvers, or prismatic control devices, to eliminate nuisance and hazardous lighting and keep an installation compliant.
572(D), so drivers and walkers can tell the two apart. These standards apply chapter-wide except where noted for single-family and two-family dwellings, and any new installation after the May 16, 2023 effective date must comply outright.
Violations & Fines
Non-compliant outdoor lighting is a Chapter 154 violation under § 154.999(A): a forfeiture of $25 to $200 per offense plus prosecution costs, with up to 30 days in the County Jail if unpaid, and each day of continued non-compliance treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can wall-mounted lighting illuminate my parking area without a shield?
How tall can a pole light be near my house?
What hardware satisfies the county's glare-shielding requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rock Island County
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