Jefferson County, AL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Spillover limit
- 1 footcandle onto adjacent property/ROW
- Fixture height cap
- 20 feet maximum
- Prohibited fixtures
- wooden poles; flashing, blinking, neon lights
- Wiring
- underground, unless not visible from public
- Applies to
- U.S. 280 Corridor Overlay only
Summary
Jefferson County caps outdoor lighting inside the U.S. Highway 280 Corridor Overlay at one footcandle spilling onto adjacent property or the public right-of-way under Sec. 1502.07, requiring downward-facing fixtures, a 20-foot height limit, and a ban on flashing, blinking, or neon lighting visible from public property.
a. Lighting shall have underground electric service, except where the lights, service poles and wires are not visible from public property. b. The intensity, location and design of lighting shall be such that not more than one footcandle of light is cast upon adjacent property or the public right-of-way. Light fixtures shall be designed to cast light downward; and, where necessary, cut-off devices shall be used to minimize glare off of the premises. c. Exterior lights shall not exceed twenty (20) feet in height. d. Wooden light poles are prohibited on private property. ... f. Flashing, blinking or intermittent lights, and neon tubing are prohibited.
Full Breakdown
S. Highway 280 Corridor Overlay. Subsection (b) states the numeric standard directly: 'The intensity, location and design of lighting shall be such that not more than one footcandle of light is cast upon adjacent property or the public right-of-way. ' Subsection (c) caps exterior light fixtures at twenty (20) feet in height. Subsection (a) requires underground electric service for site lighting except where the lights, poles, and wires are not visible from public property, and subsection (d) bans wooden light poles on private property outright.
Subsection (e) requires light poles and fixtures to be architecturally compatible with the principal building, and subsection (f) prohibits flashing, blinking, or intermittent lights and neon tubing entirely. Compliance is documented in the exterior lighting plan required under Sec. 03(i)(4), which the applicant must submit with the site plan showing the proposed footcandles of artificial light both on and off the premises, before the Department of Development Services will approve the plan or the county will issue a building permit. S. 280 Corridor in unincorporated Jefferson County and does not set a general light-trespass rule for the rest of the county or for the cities within it.
Violations & Fines
Site lighting that casts more than one footcandle onto adjacent property or the public right-of-way fails Sec. 1502.07(b), and a wooden light pole, an exposed overhead line, or flashing or neon lighting each violate a separate subsection of the same section. The Department of Development Services checks the submitted lighting plan against these limits before approving the site plan, and can require fixtures to be re-aimed, shielded, or replaced to bring an installed lighting system into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can spill onto my neighbor's lot in the corridor?
Is there a height limit on outdoor light poles?
Can a business use flashing or neon lighting in the 280 Corridor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jefferson County
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