Tamarac, FL Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

The Land Development Code's illumination direction and shielding subsection targets light spilling upward and outward rather than staying on the property it is meant to serve. Upwardly-directed lighting used to illuminate a structure or building facade must use low-wattage architectural or decorative lighting so that direct light emissions are contained by the structure or facade and are not visible above the building roof line, an explicit limit on illuminating a building from below without washing light into the sky. Fixtures lighting flags, statues, or other pole-, pedestal-, or platform-mounted objects must use a narrow cone beam that does not extend beyond the illuminated object, rather than a broad floodlight spray.

Any light source that forms a linear pattern must be recessed within the structure it is part of. Separately, any light source or lamp emitting more than 900 lumens must be concealed or shielded with a full cut-off style fixture, with an angle not exceeding 90 degrees, to minimize glare and unnecessary light diffusion onto adjacent properties and streets. Related shielding rules extend the same theme: wall pack lights at building entrances must be fully shielded with a true cut-off bulb not visible from off-site, roof-mounted light sources are banned outright except where the building code requires them, and flood illumination of a building's exterior is prohibited from the ground, from pole-mounted lights, or from lights on adjoining structures.