Alexandria, VA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing provision
- Zoning Ordinance § 6-403(F)
- Applies to
- Congregate recreational facility & dog park lighting poles
- Setback required
- 35 feet from ROW or residential property line
- Approval needed
- Special use permit for above-height poles
- POS zone rule
- § 6-108(B) bars glare onto residential properties/streets
Summary
Alexandria doesn't have a citywide light-trespass ordinance for private property, but it does regulate glare from public recreational lighting. Section 6-403(F) lets light poles for congregate recreational facilities and dog parks exceed the zone's normal height limit only with a special use permit, a 35-foot setback from any residential lot line, and proof the taller pole cuts spillage and glare.
(F)Lighting for congregate recreational facilities and dog parks.(1)Subject to the limitations in subsection (2) below, poles for lighting the following uses may be constructed to a height which otherwise exceeds that permitted by the zone with a special use permit:(a)Congregate recreational facilities; and(b)Dog parks.(2)The following limitations apply:(a)Poles include luminaire assemblies;(b)Reserved;(c)The applicant shall demonstrate that the increased pole height will mitigate the impact of lighting in terms of spillage and glare;(d)Poles shall be setback a minimum of 35 feet from any right-of-way or residential property line; and(e)Poles may be located in any zone.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 156 | Zoning: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
Section 6-403(F) is Alexandria's narrowest but most explicit lighting-glare standard in the Zoning Ordinance. It applies specifically to light poles serving congregate recreational facilities, such as ballfields and courts, and dog parks. Ordinarily, a pole's height is capped by the height district that applies to the surrounding zone, but Section 6-403(F)(1) allows an applicant to seek a special use permit to build taller. Getting that approval requires clearing conditions under Section 6-403(F)(2): the applicant must affirmatively "demonstrate that the increased pole height will mitigate the impact of lighting in terms of spillage and glare," the pole, including its luminaire assembly, must sit back at least 35 feet from any right-of-way or residential property line, and the pole may be sited in any zone once the special use permit is granted.
" Together, these are the two places the Zoning Ordinance directly addresses light spilling onto neighboring property; there is no separate freestanding light-trespass ordinance covering private residential or commercial lighting citywide.
Violations & Fines
Installing or operating recreational or dog-park lighting poles above the zone's standard height without the Section 6-403(F) special use permit, required setback, or glare-mitigation showing is a zoning violation that Alexandria's Department of Planning & Zoning can enforce by withholding the permit, requiring the pole lowered or relocated, or ordering the fixtures shielded until the spillage and glare standard is met.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Alexandria regulate light spilling onto my property from a neighbor's business?
How far must a dog-park light pole be from my house?
Can a park install taller light poles than the zone allows?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alexandria
Compare Alexandria to another location·View the Virginia outdoor lighting overview
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