Winston-Salem has no formal dark-sky ordinance but the UDO requires exterior lighting to be shielded and directed downward to prevent glare. Commercial site lighting must meet UDO standards. Residential lighting subject to nuisance provisions if it creates glare.
Winston-Salem has not adopted a comprehensive dark-sky ordinance like IDA model codes, but the UDO includes lighting standards for commercial, industrial, and multi-family developments. Exterior lighting must be full-cutoff or shielded fixtures that direct light downward and prevent light from escaping above horizontal. Parking lot and pole-mounted lighting is subject to maximum height limits (typically 25-30 feet) and cannot create spill greater than 0.5 foot-candles at residential property lines. Flag lighting, building security lighting, and architectural up-lighting have specific requirements. Residential lighting is not comprehensively regulated but may be addressed under nuisance provisions if a homeowners lights create excessive glare or trespass onto neighboring properties. New developments increasingly use LED fixtures with color temperatures of 3000K or less to reduce blue-light sky glow and protect nocturnal wildlife.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem driveways require permits for new curb cuts and must meet UDO standards for width and paving material. Residential driveways limited to 24 feet...
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem street parking is free in residential areas with 72-hour maximum stays. Downtown has metered parking with enforcement 8 AM to 6 PM Monday throu...
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem defines abandoned vehicles as those parked on public streets over 72 hours or inoperative vehicles on private property. Police tag suspicious v...
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem prohibits parking of commercial vehicles over 1 ton in residential zoning districts. Semi-trucks, dump trucks, and large delivery vehicles cann...
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem is not in a designated high-severity wildfire zone, but wooded neighborhoods along Salem Creek, Muddy Creek, and the western edge near Pilot Mo...
Winston-Salem, NC
Winston-Salem permits recreational fire pits under the NC Fire Code (Section 307) when fires are contained, attended, and set back at least 25 feet from stru...
See how Winston-Salem's dark sky rules rules stack up against other locations.
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