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Alamance County, NC Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Applies to
Class I-III heavy industrial uses only
Standard
Fixtures must prevent direct glare on neighbors
Review point
Intent-to-Construct Industrial Development Permit
Site plan requirement
Exterior lighting plan (Appendix E)
Application fee
$350, plus $50 renewal (Appendix G)
Enforcing agency
Alamance County Planning Department

Summary

Alamance County's UDO requires heavy industrial sites to shield access, walkway and parking lot lighting so it does not spill onto neighbors. UDO Section 6.5.3(K) mandates fixtures 'installed as to protect the street and neighboring properties from direct glare or hazardous interference,' reviewed through the county's Intent-to-Construct Industrial Development Permit for Class I-III uses.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Alamance County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Access ways, walkways and parking areas shall be lighted adequately by lighting fixtures which shall be so installed as to protect the street and neighboring properties from direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.

Full Breakdown

1). 2, such as landfills, asphalt plants, chemical manufacturing, mining and metal recycling; agricultural and residential uses are exempt by right. 4. The Class I-III permit application fee is $350, with a $50 renewal fee (Appendix G). 8(H) applies the same standard to solar energy systems, but general residential and commercial development outside these regulated use categories carries no glare-protection standard in this UDO.

Violations & Fines

Section 6.5.3(L) ties lighting compliance to the industrial Operations Permit: applicants must meet 'all other applicable County, State, and Federal regulations,' and the Planning Director can demand added lighting information; failing to submit it 'shall result in the denial or revocation of an Operations Permit,' halting the regulated use until the glare problem is corrected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Alamance County regulate light spilling onto neighboring property?
Yes, for heavy industrial sites. UDO Section 6.5.3(K) requires access way, walkway and parking lighting to be 'installed as to protect the street and neighboring properties from direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind,' reviewed when the county issues an Intent-to-Construct Industrial Development Permit for a Class I-III use.
Is there a numeric footcandle limit for industrial lighting?
No. UDO Section 6.5.3(K) sets a performance standard, protecting neighbors from 'direct glare or hazardous interference,' rather than a measured lux or footcandle cap at the property line; compliance is judged by the Planning Department during site plan review, not by a photometric threshold in the ordinance text.
Does this glare rule cover homes or ordinary businesses?
No. It applies only within UDO Chapter 6.5's Class I, II and III heavy industrial uses, such as landfills, asphalt plants and metal recycling facilities; agricultural and residential land uses are exempt by right under Section 6.5.2(b), and the UDO sets no separate glare standard for other development.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Alamance County

Noise Ordinances: Quiet HoursSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsDark Sky RulesLight RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome Restrictions

All Alamance County rules

Compare Alamance County to another location·View the North Carolina outdoor lighting overview

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