Alachua County, FL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Trespass ban
- No lamp visible beyond the property line (§407.146(f))
- Non-residential limit
- 1.0 fc max at adjoining non-residential land
- Residential limit
- 0.5 fc max at adjoining residential/ag land
- Athletic field cap
- 12,000 candela max beyond 100 ft of line
- Applies to
- New development & redevelopment plans (§407.144)
Summary
Alachua County's outdoor lighting article bans any lamp or bulb visible beyond the property line it sits on, and caps how much light a development's fixtures may throw onto a neighbor: no more than 1.0 footcandle at an adjoining non-residential lot and 0.5 footcandle at an adjoining residential or agricultural lot, measured at finished grade near the boundary.
(f)Any lamp or bulb that is visible beyond the property line on which it is located, except as provided in Section 407.145 or as provided for in this Article. ... Maximum maintained illumination levels measured at finished grade on adjoining property within twenty-five (25) feet of the property line of the project in question shall be no more than one (1.0) footcandles (fc) if the adjoining property is zoned non-residential and no more than one-half (0.5) fc when the adjoining property is zoned residential or agriculture or is an existing residential use within one hundred (100) feet of the property line.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
144). 145 (small residential fixtures, seasonal displays, sign lighting, and public-safety or airport lighting). 148. 5 footcandle where it is zoned residential or agricultural or carries an existing residential use within 100 feet. 5 footcandle at the property line regardless of the neighboring zoning. Athletic-field lighting gets its own standard: fixtures within 100 feet of the property line are capped at the district's maximum building height and must aim away from the boundary, and fixtures farther out are limited to 12,000 candela measured five feet above grade at the line. 147) so compliance can be checked before a permit issues.
Violations & Fines
Light-trespass compliance is checked at development plan review through the required photometric plan (§ 407.147); the Development Review Committee can accept documented deviations only under § 407.148(a)(3). After the fact, violations are enforced as ULDC violations under Chapter 409: referral to Code Enforcement under F.S. Ch. 162, citations, or withholding/revoking permits and approvals until the fixture is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the light trespass limit onto a neighboring residential lot in Alachua County?
Does the county ban any visible light crossing my property line at all?
Who reviews light trespass and when does the rule apply?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alachua County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Alachua County to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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