Ann Arbor adopted a dark-sky lighting ordinance (UDC Section 5.25) in 2021. New luminaires must be fully or partially shielded, use warm-white light (CCT 3000K or lower, CRI 70+), and decorative facade and landscape lighting must be off from midnight to 6 a.m.
Washtenaw County does not zone land; Ann Arbor's Unified Development Code Section 5.25 sets outdoor-lighting standards for private property. All new luminaires must be fully or partially shielded, so full-shielding fixtures emit no light above the horizontal plane through their lowest light-emitting part. Outdoor lighting must use colors no bluer than warm white (Correlated Color Temperature no greater than 3000 K) and approximate a natural light source (Color Rendering Index of at least 70); this color rule does not apply to single- and two-family properties or illuminated signs. Decorative lighting of building facades and landscape must be off between midnight and 6 a.m. except during business hours in nonresidential districts. Temporary holiday lighting is allowed 90 consecutive days per year.
Noncompliant lighting installed during site-plan review or major renovation is a zoning violation subject to correction orders and municipal civil infraction penalties.
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See how Washtenaw County's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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