Carteret County, NC Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Sec. 3009.3, adopted within the article covering 'other requirements for non-residential uses and districts,' protects homes near commercial, business, and industrial development from glare and light spillover. The rule has two parts. First, fixtures must be installed so the light they emit is directed downward and away from any residential use or district within 500 feet of every lot line of the lighted property, not just the line nearest the fixture. Second, a curfew dimming rule applies after hours or 11:00 p.m., whichever comes first: at that point the lighting must be reduced by at least 25 percent, addressing parking-lot, sign, and security lighting that would otherwise run at full output overnight near marinas, gas stations, and other non-residential uses across the county.

It was added by the Board of Commissioners' resolution of February 20, 2023, the same measure that amended the neighboring equipment-noise standard in Sec. 3009.2. Because it is a zoning standard rather than a nuisance-light provision, the Planning Department's zoning enforcement officer reviews compliance at the site-plan and zoning-permit stage, and enforcement after construction follows the ordinance's general violation procedure in Sec. 1203.