Norfolk County does not regulate outdoor lighting. Several towns (Dover, Sherborn, Medfield) have dark-sky bylaws. State-level, MGL c. 40 §21 enables local light pollution control.
Outdoor lighting regulation in Norfolk County is municipal. MA has no statewide dark-sky law; MGL c. 40 §21 enables towns to regulate. Rural Norfolk County towns — Dover, Sherborn, Medfield, Walpole, and portions of Canton — have adopted dark-sky or outdoor lighting bylaws requiring fully shielded (full-cutoff) fixtures, maximum color temperature 3000K, and limits on lumen output. Brookline has a commercial lighting bylaw. Most urban Norfolk County towns (Quincy, Weymouth) rely on zoning bylaw and general nuisance authority. The IESNA RP-33 Lighting for Exterior Environments is commonly referenced. State building code 780 CMR Chapter 11 addresses lighting energy standards. Several towns are IDA-recognized dark-sky communities.
No county enforcement. Municipal non-compliant fixtures: 30-day notice to correct, $100-$500 fines thereafter. Commercial violations: permit revocation possible. Repeat: escalating daily fines.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Wellesley, MA
Wellesley allows garage conversions to ADUs under Wellesley Zoning Bylaw §5.13 (as amended April 15, 2025 by Article 40.1) consistent with Section 8 of the M...
Wellesley, MA
Wellesley regulates ADUs under Section 5.13 of the Wellesley Zoning Bylaw. At the April 2025 Annual Town Meeting, Wellesley adopted Article 40.1 to amend its...
Wellesley, MA
Wellesley's Building Department exempts one-story sheds/accessory buildings of 100 square feet or less from a building permit, but they must still comply wit...
See how Wellesley's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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