Battle Creek, MI Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

The City's light trespass rule is Battle Creek Codified Ordinances § 1260.03(a)(3). It starts with a design duty: exterior lighting sources must be designed, constructed, located, and maintained in a manner that minimizes light trespass onto neighboring properties. It then sets a measurable cap. The light trespass from a property cannot exceed 0.5-foot candles at the property line, measured five feet from the ground.

The subsection also bars visible glare. The light-emitting element of a light fixture cannot be directly visible from neighboring properties, which the code calls the primary cause of glare. In practice that means a fixture has to be shielded or aimed so the neighbor looking toward your lot does not see the bulb itself. The final sentence repeats the general aiming rule: all outdoor lighting in all use districts must be directed toward and confined to the ground areas of lawns or parking lots.

The rule works together with the rest of § 1260.03. Subsection (a)(1) requires full cut-off fixtures that keep light from projecting above a ninety degree horizontal plane. Subsection (a)(2) sets illumination levels for parking areas, loading areas and sidewalks at 1.0 footcandles, building entrances in frequent use at 5.0, and a gas station directly under the canopy at 20.0, with other outdoor areas left to the Planning Director up to a maximum of 20.0. So a bright, code-compliant canopy still has to stay within 0.5-foot candles where the light crosses onto a neighbor's lot. Fixture height is capped at twenty-five feet in non-industrial districts under (a)(5).

Government right-of-way fixtures, decorative holiday lighting and pedestrian walkway lighting are exempt from the section, but the Zoning Administrator reserves the right to enforce standards that minimize glare and otherwise protect public health, safety and welfare. The City of Battle Creek in Calhoun County enforces the standard through its Planning and Zoning staff.