Lake County, IL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential-abutting limit
- 0.5 footcandle at property line
- Nonresidential-abutting limit
- 1 footcandle at property line
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Lake County only
- Exempt
- Single-family homes, public street lights
- Enforced by
- Planning, Building and Development Dept.
Summary
In unincorporated Lake County, outdoor lighting can't exceed one-half footcandle at the property line abutting residential land, or one footcandle abutting nonresidential land or a right-of-way.
Outdoor lighting shall not exceed one-half footcandle at any point on the adjoining property if the subject property abuts a residential zoning district or a lot containing a residential use; ... Outdoor lighting shall not exceed one footcandle at any point on the adjoining property if the subject property abuts a nonresidential zoning district or lot containing a nonresidential use or at the right-of-way line;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 26-0618, passed 6-9-2026 | State legislation current through ILCS Pamphlet 2025 #5).
Full Breakdown
Lake County's Unified Development Ordinance caps light trespass measured at the property line: no more than one-half footcandle where the site abuts a residential zoning district or residential use, and no more than one footcandle where it abuts a nonresidential district, nonresidential use, or a right-of-way. All luminaires must be shielded against glare spillover onto adjacent residential property and rights-of-way, and flickering, flashing, search, laser, or mercury-vapor lights are banned outright. The rule applies only in unincorporated Lake County; single-family detached houses and public street lights are exempt, and municipalities like Waukegan, Highland Park, and Gurnee set their own separate lighting rules.
Violations & Fines
The Planning, Building and Development Director enforces this as a zoning violation, giving 10 days' notice to correct before further action; each week uncorrected counts as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside Waukegan or Highland Park?
How is light trespass measured?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
Compare Lake County to another location·View the Illinois outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.