Greenville County, SC Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- County-wide home rule
- None
- Where dark-sky applies
- ESD-PM district development
- Fixture type
- Downward / shielded / cutoff
- Sky-glow standard
- No spillage above tree canopy
- Authority
- Zoning Ordinance Sec. 8:5.10
Summary
Greenville County has no county-wide dark-sky ordinance for existing homes, but in its Environmentally Sensitive (ESD-PM) district, lighting must use downward or shielded fixtures and create no light spillage above the tree canopy to minimize sky glow and light pollution.
Light fixtures must be aimed, located, designed, fitted and maintained so as to direct light downward and create no light spillage above the tree canopy to minimize sky glow, glare and light pollution.
Full Breakdown
Greenville County does not impose a general dark-sky lighting standard on existing single-family homes. Its quantitative lighting controls apply to new development, and the strongest dark-sky language is in Section 8:5.10 for the Environmentally Sensitive District (ESD-PM). There, lighting must use downward and/or inward-facing fixtures and/or light shields, and fixtures must be aimed, located, designed, fitted, and maintained to direct light downward and create no light spillage above the tree canopy to minimize sky glow, glare, and light pollution. Commercial and multifamily site plans elsewhere must use cutoff fixtures that minimize obtrusive light. For a routine porch or yard light on a house, the county sets no dark-sky limit; your city may.
Violations & Fines
Lighting on a regulated development that fails the ESD-PM or site-plan cutoff standards can hold up site-plan or certificate-of-occupancy approval and is enforced through Greenville County land-development review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Greenville County have a dark-sky ordinance for my house?
What lighting does the ESD-PM district require?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenville County
Compare Greenville County to another location·View the South Carolina outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.