Sullivan County, TN Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Resolution § 8-102.4(2)(a)
- Applies to
- Commercial, manufacturing districts and community facilities
- Requirement
- Shield fixtures so light stays on-site
- Not covered
- Ordinary residential lots outside these uses
- Penalty
- Up to $500 per day, per offense
Summary
Sullivan County's Zoning Resolution requires all site lighting in commercial and manufacturing districts, and at community facilities anywhere in the county, to be shielded so essentially all emitted light stays within the property line. The glare standard under Section 8-102.4 targets fixtures that spill light onto neighboring land or public streets.
1. Applicability - The standards contained within this section shall apply in all commercial and manufacturing districts and to all community facilities activities located within any district. 2. Required Performance Level a. All site lighting shall be shielded so that substantially all directly emitted light falls within the property line.
Full Breakdown
4, Glare, is one of several Performance Standards in Article VIII of the Sullivan County Zoning Resolution that regulate how a use operates once it's built, alongside noise, odor and hazardous-materials standards in the same article. The shielding rule applies in every commercial and manufacturing zoning district and to any community facility use no matter which district it sits in; it does not reach ordinary residential lots. 4(2)(a), site lighting fixtures, parking lot poles, canopy lights and similar installations must be shielded, through cutoff fixtures, shields or aiming, so that substantially all of the light they emit stays within the boundary of the lot where it's installed rather than radiating outward toward neighboring parcels or the street.
4(2)(c). 9, rather than ordered removed outright, unless it is later expanded or rebuilt. Compliance is reviewed by the Building Commissioner during site plan approval for new commercial and manufacturing development.
Violations & Fines
A lighting installation that fails the shielding standard violates the Zoning Resolution, punishable as a misdemeanor under Section 12-107.2 with a civil penalty of up to $500 per offense and each day of noncompliance counted separately. The Building Commissioner investigates complaints and can seek an injunction, mandamus action or utility-service hold to force a property into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sullivan County require shielded outdoor lighting?
Does the shielding rule apply to residential lighting?
What happens to lighting installed before this rule existed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sullivan County
Compare Sullivan County to another location·View the Tennessee outdoor lighting overview
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