Springfield, IL Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Fixture standard
- Full cut-off type required
- Glare limit
- No light above 90-degree horizontal plane
- Applies to
- Lots with 5+ parking spaces
- Up-lighting
- Prohibited except government flags
- Photometric plan
- Due within 90 days of permit
Summary
Parking lots and site lighting in Springfield have to use shielded, full cut-off fixtures, the kind that keep light from spilling above the horizontal. Zoning Code Sec. 155.480(k)(3)(ix) requires cut-off fixture heads on site lighting except where otherwise provided, and Sec. 155.480(k)(2)(ii) defines the standard: no light dispersion or glare above a 90-degree plane from the fixture's base.
(ii)Full cut-off type fixture. A luminaire or light fixture that by the design of the housing, does not allow any light dispersion or direct glare to shine above a 90-degree, horizontal plane from the base of the fixture. Full cut-off fixtures must be installed in a horizontal position as designed, or the purpose of the design is defeated, and disability glare will result...(ix)Except where otherwise provided, fixture heads shall be of full cut-off type which controls the lighting pattern and shields abutting property from direct view of the light source.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 82).
Full Breakdown
Springfield's landscape, screening and lighting article applies its dark-sky style standard to every parking area with five or more spaces and to other site lighting outside fully enclosed buildings, Sec. 480(k)(1) and (3)(i). Sec. 480(k)(2)(ii) defines a full cut-off type fixture as one that, by the design of the housing, does not allow any light dispersion or direct glare to shine above a 90-degree, horizontal plane from the base of the fixture, and specifies that the fixture must be installed in a horizontal position as designed, or the purpose of the design is defeated and disability glare will result.
Sec. 480(k)(3)(ix) then makes the standard mandatory: except where otherwise provided, fixture heads shall be of full cut-off type which controls the lighting pattern and shields abutting property from direct view of the light source. The same subsection bars up lighting, any source that throws illumination above the horizontal, Sec. 480(k)(2)(iv) and (3)(vii), except for flags of the United States, Illinois or Springfield, and requires all site lighting to run on underground cable, Sec. 480(k)(3)(viii). must be reduced to security levels regardless of closing time, Sec.
480(k)(3)(xi). A photometric plan showing the foot-candle value at every property line has to go to the zoning administrator within 90 days of a building permit application that includes exterior lighting, Sec. 480(k)(4).
Violations & Fines
Installing parking-lot or site fixtures that aren't full cut-off type, or mounting them off the horizontal so they create disability glare, violates Sec. 155.480(k)(3)(ix) and is enforced through the zoning administrator's building-permit review and the general penalty in Sec. 155.999. Failing to file the required photometric plan within 90 days of a lighting-related building permit under Sec. 155.480(k)(4) is a separate compliance failure that can hold up permit sign-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Springfield require shielded outdoor lighting?
Can I point landscape or building lights upward in Springfield?
What do I have to submit for exterior lighting on a new building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
Compare Springfield to another location·View the Illinois outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.