Bossier City, LA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Section 12.6.4.B targets visibility rather than just brightness: abutting or nearby residential properties must not be able to see the actual light source of a nonresidential fixture, unless the luminaire runs on an incandescent lamp under 100 watts. Section 12.6.4.C then sets the footcandle ceiling by boundary type. At a property line abutting a residential use, illumination cannot exceed 0.2 footcandles. At a property line abutting a nonresidential use or a public street, the cap rises to 5 footcandles. Where the residential use sits across a street rather than directly abutting, the limit is 2 footcandles measured at the lit occupancy's own property line.

Section 12.6.4.D adds a site-wide ceiling: illumination cannot exceed 60 footcandles at any point on the property, and the code steers developers who need more light, such as auto dealers, toward canopy-type structures that hold the fixtures rather than taller poles. Section 12.6.4.F extends the same logic to canopy lighting over sheltered work areas like gas station islands: luminaires must be recessed into the canopy so they cannot be seen from off-site at a 4-foot eye height, protecting passing drivers from glare. A lighting plan documenting the layout and footcandle totals goes to the Executive Director under Section 12.6.3 before installation.