Arlington Heights, IL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 28-10.2-12.3(b) (Lighting spillage)
- Single-family residential limit
- 0.1 foot-candles (1.0 lux)
- Multi-family residential limit
- 0.2 foot-candles (2.0 lux)
- Business district limit
- 2.0 foot-candles (21.5 lux)
- Industrial/park/school limit
- 5.0 foot-candles (53.8 lux)
- Measured at
- Neighboring property's horizontal plane
Summary
Arlington Heights, Illinois zoning code puts a hard number on how much light an off-street parking lot can throw onto a neighbor's property. Section 28-10.2-12.3(b) caps horizontal illumination measured at the neighboring lot at just 0.1 foot-candles next to single-family homes, rising to 5.0 foot-candles next to industrial, park, school, and institutional land.
b.All off-street parking areas with lighting shall limit spillage onto adjacent property. Maximum horizontal foot candles as given off by the neighboring property as measured in the following districts shall not exceed: Single-Family Residential Districts .1 Foot Candles / 1.0 Lux; Multiple Family Residential Districts .2 Foot Candles / 2.0 Lux; Business Districts 2.0 Foot Candles / 21.5 Lux; Light Industrial Districts 5.0 Foot Candles / 53.8 Lux; Park, School and Institutional Districts 5.0 Foot Candles / 53.8 Lux.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
3(b) of the Arlington Heights zoning code regulates light trespass from off-street parking areas by setting a maximum horizontal foot-candle reading measured on the neighboring property, and the ceiling changes depending on what kind of district receives the light. 0 lux) of spillover is allowed. 0 lux). 8 lux). 1 foot-candle residential figure, while spillover onto an adjoining light industrial parcel can run 50 times brighter. The limit works alongside the shielding and cut-off fixture requirements in subsections (a), (c), and (d) of the same section, so a compliant fixture has to be both optically controlled at the source and low enough in output that it does not exceed the district-specific reading at the property line.
The section sets no separate vertical or overhead limit; it measures only horizontal foot-candles at the neighboring property, as given off by the parking area lighting.
Violations & Fines
A parking lot that measures over its district's foot-candle ceiling at the neighboring property line is out of compliance with Section 10.2-12.3(b), and subsection (g) requires any non-conforming lighting to be brought into compliance once it becomes obsolete or is replaced. The Director of Engineering reviews and approves fixture plans; a property owner disputing a light-trespass finding can appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals under Section 28-11, which also hears variation requests from strict yard and lighting standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can a parking lot legally throw onto my property in Arlington Heights?
What can I do if a neighboring parking lot is too bright?
Does the light-trespass limit apply to every parking lot in the village?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington Heights
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