Brownsville, TX Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

The UDC defines light trespass as light that unreasonably falls on another property, into a driver's eyes, or upward toward the sky, and defines glare as light causing visual discomfort or reduced visibility. Site plan approval under section 4.2.4 requires that exterior lighting ensure safety while minimizing glare and reflection on abutting properties, and the same test applies to specific use permits. Home occupations are barred from adding commercial-like exterior lighting, and halfway houses cannot alter residential character through lighting. Section 4.6.7, the reserved lighting section, sets no footcandle limit at a property line, so residential floodlight disputes between neighbors are handled as nuisance and permit-condition matters rather than by measurement.