Carver County, MN Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

034(C)(2) sets two separate conditions on lights installed for illuminated parking areas, loading areas, or yards for safety and security purposes. First, glare from the fixture cannot be visible from a public right-of-way or from adjacent residential property, a functional test aimed at the light source itself rather than a measured number. Second, the section adds a quantitative backstop: light intensity at a residential property line cannot exceed three foot-candles, giving code enforcement a measurable threshold instead of relying only on visual glare. Both conditions apply regardless of whether the fixture also qualifies for the reduced three-foot setback available to fully-shielded luminaires under the same clause, so a security light that is properly shielded can still violate the three-foot-candle cap if it is bright enough or aimed poorly.

The rule reaches lighting installed for safety and security purposes specifically, which the section separately authorizes to be installed 'where necessary,' tying the lighting standard to a genuine security or illumination need rather than banning security lighting outright. Enforcement runs through the Land Management Department's general authority over Chapter 152, and a property owner cited for excess light trespass would need to redirect, dim, or re-shield the fixture to bring the property line reading back under the three-foot-candle limit.