Smithtown, NY Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Core rule
- Fixtures must be hooded, source not visible
- Business/industrial district limit
- Security & access lighting only
- Design approval
- Board of Site Plan Review
- Flashing/chaser lights
- Banned except Nov 15-Jan 15
- First-offense fine
- $500 to $5,000
Summary
Every outdoor light fixture in Smithtown must be arranged so its source is hooded and not visible from the street or a neighboring residence. Section 322-26.A also bans flashing, chasing or intermittent lighting townwide except between November 15 and January 15.
Any outdoor lighting of any use shall be arranged in such a way that no direct glare is cast toward any highway or adjacent property, and luminary devices shall be hooded and/or arranged so that the source of the illumination is not visible from such highway or residential use.
Full Breakdown
" That hooding requirement is the Town's core shielding standard: it does not just limit brightness, it requires the fixture itself to physically block the bulb or lamp from view off the property. Subsection B adds a second layer in business and industrial districts: outdoor lighting other than a permitted sign is limited to illuminating the building for security, plus lighting parking areas and accessways only as necessary for pedestrian and vehicle movement, and the Board of Site Plan Review must approve the location, intensity and design of every luminary device as part of site plan review.
Subsection C prohibits flashing, intermittent, moving, or chaser lights, or lighting of varying intensity, in all districts, with a seasonal exception running from November 15 through January 15 for holiday displays. Together these three subsections form the Town's outdoor-lighting standard: hood the fixture, keep intensity to the minimum needed for the permitted use, and hold moving or flashing light effects to the winter holiday window.
Violations & Fines
An unhooded fixture or non-compliant lighting design is a Chapter 322 zoning violation under § 322-106.A: $500 to $5,000 for a first conviction, $2,000 to $10,000 for a second within five years, and $4,000 to $15,000 or up to six months in jail for a third, with each continuing day after notice a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Smithtown require outdoor light fixtures to be shielded?
Can a business leave its parking lot lights on all night at any brightness?
Are flashing holiday lights allowed on a Smithtown property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Smithtown
New York rules heatmap·Compare Smithtown to another location·View the New York outdoor lighting overview
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Dark Sky Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Suffolk County handle dark sky rules.