Wyandotte County, KS Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Fixture requirement
- Full cut-off, non-adjustable, 90° down
- Street glare cap
- 1.0 foot-candle at centerline
- Residential glare cap
- 0.5 foot-candle at property line
- Bare bulbs
- Prohibited if visible off-site
- Applies only within
- 47th & Mission Road Overlay District
- Governing section
- Sec. 27-524(3)
Summary
Inside the 47th and Mission Road Area Design Review Overlay District, Wyandotte County requires every exterior commercial light to be full cut-off with a non-adjustable head aimed straight down, capping spillover at one foot-candle on the street and half a foot-candle at a neighboring residential line.
h.All exterior lighting on the building must be full cut-off with non-adjustable heads to direct light 90 degrees downward. No light may cast light or glare off the property or onto the public street.i.Any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area, sign or other structure shall be arranged as to deflect light away from any adjoining residentially zoned property or from public streets. Direct or sky-reflected glare, from floodlights or commercial operations, shall not be directed into any adjoining property. Bare light bulbs shall not be permitted in view of adjacent property or public right-of-way.j.Any light or combination of lights that casts light on a public street shall not exceed one foot-candle (meter reading) as measured from the centerline of the street. Any light or combination of lights that cast light on adjacent residentially zoned property shall not exceed 0.5 foot-candles (meter reading) as measured from that property line.
Full Breakdown
The overlay district was established by Sec. A. 12-2901 through 12-2909. Sec. 27-521 limits the standards to property currently or subsequently zoned for commercial or multifamily use within the mapped overlay boundary inside Wyandotte County; it is not a countywide rule. Within that footprint, Sec. 27-524(3) requires every exterior light on a commercial building to be full cut-off with a non-adjustable head directing light 90 degrees downward, bans any light or glare from crossing the property line onto the public street, and extends the full cut-off requirement to parking-area, sign and other site lighting.
Bare light bulbs are prohibited if visible from adjacent property or the public right-of-way. 5 foot-candles measured at that property line. Applicants must submit a base meter reading with their site plan so the numbers can be verified after installation. This is the only fixture-shielding, foot-candle-capped lighting standard found in the code; outside the mapped 47th and Mission Road boundary, commercial lighting is governed by more general nuisance-glare and landscaping language in each zoning district rather than this specific full cut-off mandate.
Violations & Fines
A commercial property inside the overlay district that installs adjustable or non-cutoff fixtures, or that exceeds the 1.0 foot-candle street limit or 0.5 foot-candle residential limit, is out of compliance with Sec. 27-524 and subject to the Sec. 2-652 administrative citation scale, running from $100 for a first offense to $1,500 for a sixth or later offense within 24 months, with correction required before further building or sign permits are issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Wyandotte County have a countywide dark-sky lighting ordinance?
What kind of light fixture does the overlay district require?
How much light can spill onto a neighboring residential yard in the overlay district?
What do I need to submit for a lighting plan in the overlay district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wyandotte County
Compare Wyandotte County to another location·View the Kansas outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.