Billings, MT Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- commercial/mixed-use within 50 ft of residential
- Fixture rule
- full cutoff shields, no projection below shield
- Max pole height
- 15 feet (fixture + base + pole)
- Exception
- signage lighting
- Governing section
- Sec. 27-403(L)(2)
Summary
Commercial buildings near homes in Billings must shield all outdoor lighting with full cutoff fixtures and keep pole heights at 15 feet or less.
All outdoor lighting, with the exception of signage, shall have full cutoff shields so no part of the fixture or lens projects below the cutoff shield. Light pole standards must be fifteen (15) feet in height or less. Height includes the fixture, the base and the supporting pole.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Billings Municipal Code Sec. 27-403(L)(2) requires that any commercial or mixed-use building or use within 50 feet of a neighborhood residential zoning district install full cutoff-shielded outdoor lighting, no part of the fixture or lens may project below the shield, and keep light pole standards, measured as fixture plus base plus supporting pole, at 15 feet or less. Signage lighting is the only listed exception. The requirement is one of a set of residential-buffer standards (also covering mechanical screening, setbacks, loading docks, and outdoor storage) that apply whenever commercial or mixed-use development sits next to a residential zone, enforced through the city's zoning compliance and site plan review process.
Violations & Fines
Non-conforming fixtures found during site plan review, permitting, or a zoning complaint hold up permit approval and draw code enforcement action until the lighting is brought into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to a homeowner's porch or yard light?
What counts as a full cutoff fixture?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Billings
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