Bucks County municipalities regulate outdoor lighting through local zoning ordinances. Most Bucks townships cap light trespass at 0.5 to 1.0 foot-candles at residential property lines and require full-cutoff fixtures for new commercial lighting.
Bucks County has no uniform county-wide lighting ordinance; standards are set by each of the 54 municipalities. Most Bucks townships (Lower Makefield, Newtown, Buckingham, Doylestown Township) require full-cutoff or fully-shielded fixtures that emit no light above the horizontal plane, and cap illuminance at property lines to 0.5 fc for residential zones and 1.0 fc where residential abuts commercial. Uplighting of buildings, trees, and flagpoles is often restricted. Security floodlights must be aimed downward and shielded so the bulb is not visible from neighboring properties. Holiday lighting generally exempt between Thanksgiving and January 15. Complaints are handled by township zoning officers or code enforcement.
First complaint: written notice with 30 days to correct. Continued non-compliance: citation through district court with fines typically $100 to $600 per violation plus court costs. Commercial violations may reach $1,000 per day under municipal zoning enforcement.
Bristol, PA
Bristol Borough regulates construction noise through general excessive noise ordinance (Ch. 10). No separate construction hour limits found; general prohibit...
Bristol, PA
Bristol Borough Ch. 10 (Excessive Noise) prohibits unnecessary or excessive noise detrimental to health, safety, or public peace. Truck idling restricted 10 ...
Bristol, PA
Bristol Borough Ch. 2, Part 3 (Noisy Animals, Ord. 1005, 7/14/1986) regulates excessive animal noise. Borough Council declared excessive sound detrimental to...
Bristol, PA
Bristol Borough Ch. 27 requires unlicensed vehicles/trailers in commercial/industrial zones to be stored in enclosed buildings. Off-street loading requiremen...
Bristol, PA
Bristol Borough Ch. 27 limits RVs to one per residential lot in R-1, R-1A, and R-2 districts, max 9% of lot area. RVs may not be used for living or sleeping....
Bristol, PA
Bristol Borough Ch. 27 requires off-street parking per Table 27-7-A by use type. All parking areas must be separated from roads by raised curbs or barriers. ...
See how Bristol's light trespass rules stack up against other locations.
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