Albany County towns including Bethlehem, Guilderland, and New Scotland restrict outdoor lighting through zoning codes requiring fully shielded fixtures. Commercial lighting cannot spill onto residential properties. State Capitol District has no countywide dark-sky law.
Albany County does not have a countywide dark-sky ordinance, but most towns regulate outdoor lighting through zoning code lighting standards. Bethlehem Town Code §128-52 requires all exterior lighting in non-residential districts to be full cutoff (fully shielded) with light directed downward. Guilderland Zoning Code §280-52 caps light trespass at 0.1 footcandles at residential property lines. New Scotland and Voorheesville follow similar standards. The City of Albany regulates commercial lighting through site plan review. Maximum pole heights are typically 20 feet in residential adjacent areas and 25 to 35 feet in commercial/industrial zones. LED color temperature is increasingly capped at 3000K per International Dark-Sky Association recommendations. Uplighting of signs and facades is generally prohibited after business hours. Residential porch and security lighting is largely unregulated but must not create nuisance per common law.
Non-compliant commercial fixtures: notice of violation, 30 days to correct, then fines $100 to $500 per day. Light trespass onto neighbor: civil nuisance action plus zoning enforcement. Repeat commercial violations: site plan re-review or CO revocation.
Albany County, NY
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See how Albany County's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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