Wellington, FL Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Section 7.6.1 of Wellington's Land Development Regulations, adopted by Ordinance No. 2022-02, governs every outdoor fixture outside single street lights. All exterior lighting must be designed to minimize direct light spillage, sky glow and hazardous interference with traffic on adjacent roads and neighboring properties, and lighting must stay at the minimum level needed to discourage vandalism and theft. Outdoor lights must confine emitted light to the property where they sit and cannot point upward unless the fixture is aimed at and shielded to accent a building facade, landscaping, artwork or another decorative surface.

Any light above 800 lumens, the rough output of a 60-watt incandescent bulb, must be white light unless the Architectural Review Board approves otherwise; single-family homes get an exemption for accent lighting under 450 lumens. Fixture height is capped by lot type: residential lots over ten acres allow up to 18 feet, commercial equestrian arenas and stadiums allow up to 90 feet within the activity area but only 30 feet over parking, and any fixture within ten feet of a residential property line is capped at 15 feet.

Flashing, revolving, color-changing and searchlight-type fixtures are prohibited outright. Non-residential lighting above 800 lumens must switch off at 11:00 p.m. unless a special event permit extends it by an hour, and holiday lighting is allowed only from November 1 through January 31. All site lighting needs an automatic timer or photo sensor set to Eastern Standard Time.