Clayton County, GA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Interior site cap
- 10.0 footcandles
- Boundary/right-of-way cap
- 1.0 footcandle
- Cap next to residential
- 0.5 footcandle
- Gas station/dealership exception
- up to 20.0 footcandles
- Measurement height at boundary
- 5 feet above grade
- Governs
- all zoning districts
Summary
Clayton County caps how much light can cross onto neighboring property under the Zoning Ordinance's Outdoor Lighting Standards (Sec. 6.36(B)(2)). Light intensity may not exceed 1.0 footcandle at any zoning lot boundary, dropping to 0.5 footcandle where the lot touches a residential district, with a narrow 20.0-footcandle exception for gas station canopies and car dealership display lots.
2.Intensity: The intensity of light within a site shall not exceed 10.0 footcandles within any site and 1.0 footcandles at any zoning lot boundary or street right-of-way line. Where a zoning lot abuts a residential district or existing residential use, the intensity shall not exceed 0.5 footcandles at the zoning lot boundary. The Zoning Administrator may permit a maximum intensity of 20.0 footcandles for lighting under a gas station pump island canopy or within the outdoor sales and display space of an automobile dealership, provided that such lighting is otherwise in compliance with this ordinance.3.Measurement: Light intensity levels shall be measured on the horizontal plane at grade level within the site, and on the vertical plane of any zoning lot boundary or street right-of-way line at a height of five feet above grade level.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 104).
Full Breakdown
The intensity limits apply on top of, not instead of, the shielding and fixture-height standards in the same section. 0 footcandle, so light cannot flood past the edge of the property where it is generated. 5 footcandle measured at that boundary, protecting nearby yards and bedrooms from glare generated by commercial or multifamily lighting. 0 footcandles for lighting under a gas station pump island canopy or within an auto dealership's outdoor sales and display area, provided the installation otherwise complies with the ordinance. Compliance is measured, not eyeballed: intensity readings are taken on the horizontal plane at grade level for the interior of the site, and on the vertical plane at the property line or right-of-way, five feet above grade, which is the height code enforcement uses when a neighbor complains that a floodlight or parking-lot fixture is spilling over the line.
Because the standard is expressed as a hard footcandle ceiling rather than a design guideline, a fixture that is properly shielded under Sec. 36(B)(1) can still violate this subsection if its output measured at the boundary exceeds these numbers.
Violations & Fines
Light trespass complaints are resolved by measurement: Community Development or code enforcement staff take footcandle readings at the property line five feet above grade, and a reading above 1.0 footcandle (0.5 footcandle next to a residential district) puts the property owner or business out of compliance regardless of the fixture's shielding. Noncompliant lighting identified during site plan review will not receive a building permit; lighting installed without that review that later measures over the cap is subject to the county's standard zoning enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can spill onto my neighbor's yard?
Is there any exception to the footcandle limits?
How is light trespass measured for enforcement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clayton County
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