Sioux Falls, SD Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Shielding trigger
- >2,220 lumens within 150 ft
- Light trespass cap
- 3 foot-candles at property line
- Max fixture height (near residential)
- 28 feet
- Max fixture height (farther out)
- 38 feet
- Banned light source
- Low-pressure sodium
Summary
Sioux Falls requires full-cutoff, fully shielded fixtures for bright outdoor lights near homes and streets, and caps fixture height and light spilling across property lines.
Fully shielded (cutoff) light fixtures shall be required when luminaires are greater than 2,220 lumens and located within 150 feet of all DD and AD forms, or when luminaires are greater than 2,220 lumens and located within 150 feet of a street right-of-way.
3. Canopy glare. Canopy lights shall contain fully shielded (cutoff) light fixtures to prevent glare onto adjacent property or street rights-of-way, except for focus lighting.
4. Light color. Low-pressure sodium light sources have low color rendition and are not permitted light sources.
(c) Exemptions, amendments, and nonconforming lighting.
(1) Exemptions. The following outdoor lighting fixtures are exempt from these lighting standards:
A. Outdoor recreation facilities.
B. Illuminated flags or statues.
C. Airport runways.
D. Telecommunication towers.
E. Broadcast towers.
F. Historic period lighting in historic districts.
(2) Amending approved lighting plans: lamp or fixture substitution. Should any outdoor lighting fixture or the type of light source therein be changed after the permit has been issued, a change request must be submitted to the zoning officer for his or her approval, together with adequate information to assure compliance with this Code, which must be received prior to substitution.
(3) Nonconforming lighting. All outdoor lighting fixtures lawfully
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-135: Current through local ordinance 54-26, passed 7-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
Under Sioux Falls Code § 160.491, outdoor lighting on most zoning forms (MD, NF, BCF, UT, RE, WM) must be fully shielded (cutoff) when luminaires exceed 2,220 lumens and sit within 150 feet of a residential zoning form or a street right-of-way. Light trespass at the property line is capped at three foot-candles measured three feet above grade, fixture height is capped at 28 feet near residential property (38 feet farther out), and low-pressure sodium lights are banned outright for their poor color rendition. Canopy lights must also use full-cutoff fixtures to stop glare onto neighbors and streets. Fixtures installed before September 28, 2006 are grandfathered in.
Violations & Fines
Enforced by the city Zoning Officer through the building/lighting permit process; noncompliant plans are denied, and fixture or lamp substitutions require prior Zoning Officer approval before installation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sioux Falls require shielded outdoor lighting?
Is there a light-spillover limit onto neighboring property?
Are older lighting fixtures grandfathered?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sioux Falls
Compare Sioux Falls to another location·View the South Dakota outdoor lighting overview
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