Celina, TX Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Spill-over at single-family line
- 0 footcandles
- Spill-over near multifamily/commercial
- 3 footcandles max
- Legacy fixture cure deadline
- 2 months after notice
- Governing section
- § 14.04.502(2)
- Enforcing office
- Development Services
Summary
Celina zoning caps how much outdoor lighting can spill onto a neighboring property, with a hard zero-footcandle limit next to single-family homes.
Spill-over. The limit of illumination on neighboring property from one establishment shall be based on the zoning and/or use of the neighboring property. Maximum computed maintained and maximum measured footcandles at the neighboring property line shall not exceed: (A) Zero (0) footcandle for single-family residential attached and single-family detached districts. (B) Three (3) footcandles for multifamily, commercial, agricultural, and industrial districts and rights-of-way.
Full Breakdown
Under § 14.04.502(2) of Celina's zoning code, light spilling onto an adjoining property is capped by the neighboring property's zoning: zero footcandles at the property line next to single-family attached or detached districts, and three footcandles next to multifamily, commercial, agricultural, or industrial districts and rights-of-way. The development services director can allow interior property lines in a multi-tenant non-residential development to exceed these numbers where needed for parking, fire lane, or access-road lighting, and the director's call on a disputed property line or use is binding. On-site illumination is separately capped (three footcandles average / ten max for multifamily; six average / fifteen max for non-residential), and § 14.04.505 bans unshielded cobra-head fixtures, mercury vapor, low- and high-pressure sodium, and metal halide luminaires outright.
Violations & Fines
Development services enforces the spill-over limit at plan review and complaint follow-up; a fixture exceeding the footcandle cap at the property line can be required to be shielded, redirected, or replaced, and non-conforming legacy fixtures found to glare onto residential property must be brought under one-quarter footcandle within two months of written notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business's parking lot lights shine onto my house in Celina?
What if my property borders a commercial or industrial lot instead?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Celina
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Celina to another location·View the Texas outdoor lighting overview
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Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
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