Virginia Beach, VA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Effective date
- September 20, 2022
- Fixture type required
- Full cutoff, source concealed
- Max illumination at residential line
- 0.5 foot-candle
- Max parking-area fixture height
- 30 feet
- Key exemption
- Oceanfront Resort District exempt
Summary
Virginia Beach requires full cutoff outdoor light fixtures on most new and replacement installations, aiming light downward to cut sky glow and glare, and caps illumination at 0.5 to 5.0 foot-candles at property lines depending on adjacent land use.
In order to direct light downward and minimize the amount of light spill into the night sky and onto adjacent properties, all lighting fixtures shall be full cutoff fixtures to eliminate glare. The light source must be concealed and must not be visible from any street right-of-way or adjacent properties.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 170 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under the city's outdoor lighting ordinance (effective September 20, 2022), fixtures installed or replaced after that date must be full cutoff, with the light source concealed from any street or adjacent property, and must not exceed 0.5 foot-candle at property lines next to residential, preservation, or agricultural uses (up to 5.0 foot-candles near commercial areas). Fixture height is capped at 30 feet in parking areas. Floodlights on one- and two-family homes, temporary event/construction lighting, agricultural lighting, and the Oceanfront Resort District Form Based Code area are exempt. Site plans must include a lighting plan showing compliance.
Violations & Fines
Enforced through Planning Department site plan review; a required lighting plan (photometric, point-by-point foot-candle grid) must show compliance before approval, and the Director of Planning must approve any alternative design that deviates from the standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Virginia Beach require dark-sky-friendly lighting?
Are any lights exempt from the full-cutoff rule?
How much light can spill onto a neighboring residential lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Virginia Beach
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