Waukesha County, WI Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Max light pole height
- 25 feet
- Fixture type required
- Cutoff or decorative, no offsite glare
- Governing rule
- Off-street parking lighting standard
- Waiver available
- Zoning Administrator, case-by-case
- Paired screening rule
- 3-foot planting screen or fence
Summary
Waukesha County's operative outdoor lighting standard requires off-street parking area lights to use cutoff or decorative fixtures that avoid glare onto neighboring properties, with light poles capped at 25 feet unless the Zoning Administrator grants a site-specific waiver.
5. Lighting. Lights provided in any parking area shall be hooded or beamed so as not to create undesirable glare or illumination of adjacent residential properties.
a. Lights shall be cut off type fixtures or decorative fixtures that do not direct light at abutting properties.
b. Lights levels shall not exceed 0.2 footcandles at residential property lines and 0.5 footcandles at all other property lines.
c. Light poles shall not exceed twenty-five (25) feet in height, with the following exceptions:
i. A waiver is granted by the Zoning Administrator based on site and surrounding conditions.
Full Breakdown
The rule lives in the off-street parking design standards of Sec. 12(4)(A)5, not a freestanding lighting ordinance. " Subitem (a) requires cut-off type fixtures or decorative fixtures that do not direct light at abutting properties. Subitem (c) caps light pole height at 25 feet, though a waiver can be granted by the Zoning Administrator based on the specific site and surrounding conditions, so a taller pole is possible with that sign-off. This lighting rule sits alongside Sec. 12(4)(A)1, which separately requires a planting screen, landscaped fence or landscaped wall at least three feet high along any parking area that fronts a road or abuts a residential district (other than parking serving a single-family home), reinforcing that the county's outdoor lighting standard for unincorporated towns is built into its off-street parking and site-design rules rather than a stand-alone dark-sky chapter.
Because the rule is written into Sec. 12, it is triggered whenever a development is required to provide off-street parking, which covers most commercial, institutional and multi-family construction in the towns rather than a homeowner's individual yard fixtures.
Violations & Fines
Installing parking-area lighting that fails the cutoff-fixture or 25-foot pole standard is enforced as a general zoning violation under Sec. 22.03(1): a forfeiture of $50 to $1,000 per offense, with each day of noncompliance counted separately, plus costs and up to six months in jail for nonpayment. The Zoning Administrator can also revoke the zoning permit and order a cease-and-desist under Sec. 22.02(3)(B) until the lighting is brought into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Waukesha County require shielded fixtures on all outdoor lights?
How tall can a parking lot light pole be?
Who enforces the lighting shielding rule?
Can I get an exception for a taller or brighter light pole?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waukesha County
Compare Waukesha County to another location·View the Wisconsin outdoor lighting overview
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