Akron, OH Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Numeric brightness limit
- none specified
- Standard applied
- traffic-safety impairment or nuisance
- Governing section
- § 153.300(D)
- Applies to
- all zoning districts citywide
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 administrative fine
Summary
Akron's Zoning Code does not set a footcandle or fixture-shielding limit for residential lighting; instead Section 153.300(D) bars any exterior lighting that impairs safe traffic movement on a street or highway or otherwise creates a nuisance. A neighbor with a genuine glare or spillover problem has to show the light rises to that nuisance-or-traffic-hazard standard.
D.Exterior Lighting. No exterior lighting shall in any way impair safe movement of traffic on any street or highway or otherwise create a nuisance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
300, the general provisions article covering development and area district requirements, addresses exterior lighting in a single subsection: 'Exterior Lighting. 300(D) does not set a numeric footcandle cap, a shielding requirement, or fixed hours when lights must be dimmed. That makes it a general nuisance and traffic-safety standard rather than a technical lighting code: a floodlight aimed at a neighbor's bedroom window or a fixture bright enough to distract drivers can be cited under this section, but a resident cannot point to a specific lumen or footcandle number to prove a violation.
Because the section sits inside the Development and Area District Requirements article, it applies citywide across residential, business, and industrial districts wherever Chapter 153 governs, and enforcement runs through the same Zoning Code inspection and complaint process used for setback and accessory-use violations. 199 enforcement case.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 153.300(D) is enforced under the Zoning Code's general penalty, Section 153.199: an administrative fine up to $100 for a first offense, up to $500 for a second, and up to $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense, in addition to a possible third-degree misdemeanor charge carrying a fine up to $500 and up to sixty days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a maximum brightness for outdoor lights in Akron?
Can I make a neighbor turn off a floodlight shining into my yard?
Does this lighting rule apply to businesses too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
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