Wake County UDO Article 7-72 sets outdoor-lighting performance standards: fixtures must be full-cutoff or shielded so that no light is emitted above the horizontal plane, lumens-per-acre caps apply by district, and pole heights are capped by zoning category.
Under Wake County UDO §7-72, all new outdoor lighting must be designed to minimize spillover onto neighboring property. Standards include full-cutoff fixtures, lumens/acre caps that vary by zoning district (e.g., R-30 residential vs. HC highway commercial), photocell-controlled shutoff, and maximum pole heights typically 16-25 ft residential vs. up to 35 ft commercial. The County does not enforce a formal Dark-Sky Designation but Wake Audubon's 'Lights Out Wake' campaign encourages residents to dim or turn off non-essential lighting during peak migration seasons (Mar 15-May 31 and Aug 15-Oct 31).
Lighting violations are enforced as part of zoning compliance — typical first warning, then site-plan revocation potential, and civil penalty up to $500 per occurrence under Wake UDO Art. 22.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Wake County, NC
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See how Wake County's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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