Allentown, PA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

A. It has four operative requirements. First, City-, state-, or utility-owned street lighting is exempt from the whole subsection. Second, all light sources, including illuminated signs, must be "properly diffused with a translucent or similar cover to prevent the lighting element from being directly visible from streets, public sidewalks, dwellings or adjacent lots," and the code separately bars hanging five or more bare incandescent bulbs of 40 watts or greater along a public street or an abutting property. " Fourth, flashing, flickering, or strobe lighting is banned outright except for seasonal holiday displays between October 25 and January 10.

A related provision at § 660-36A(3)(b)[3] requires that on-site lighting for streets, driveways, parking areas, entrances and walkways at multi-unit residential developments of five or more dwelling units be "installed and maintained to avoid glare and light trespass onto on-site dwelling units and abutting properties," reinforcing the same standard for residential sites. J standards at § 660-51 and § 660-84. Because the standard is written as a performance requirement rather than a numeric footcandle cap at the lot line, compliance is judged on whether the fixture is diffused, shielded and directed away from neighboring dwellings and public ways, not on a specific lux reading.