Bartow County, GA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Bartow County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6, printed under the O/I office and institutional district's development standards and repeated with the same wording for other non-residential districts such as C-N, requires that all site lighting be directed downward onto the site, whether on the exterior of buildings or in parking areas, and caps light fixture poles at 40 feet in height. Fixtures must be located, aimed or shielded to minimize glare and stray light trespassing across lot lines and into the public right-of-way. Flood or spot lamps get an additional rule: when the light source is visible from any off-site residential property or public roadway, the lamp must be positioned no higher than 45 degrees above straight down, meaning it can't be aimed anywhere close to horizontal.

These standards apply to new developments and to any existing development that expands by 50 percent or more in parking spaces or gross floor area. Before a building permit issues, an applicant must submit a site plan or structural exterior plan to the Zoning Administrator showing compliance with the lighting standards, so the review happens at the permitting stage rather than after a neighbor complains.