Charlotte, NC Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Base pole height cap
- 65 feet, any district
- Taller pole requires
- Zoning Admin trespass finding
- Shutoff after event
- 1 hour after end
- Non-field lighting (parking)
- Follows §16.2.A/B, no time limit
Summary
Outdoor recreational field lights in Charlotte, like ballfields and driving ranges, are capped at 65 feet unless a taller pole would actually cut light trespass onto neighboring lots, and the lights must go dark an hour after the event ends.
a. Recreational fields are permitted a total luminaire height of 65 feet in any zoning district. Luminaires greater than 65 feet in total height may only be approved by the Zoning Administrator when a taller height will result in less light trespass to adjacent lots. b. All lighting shall be directed onto the field or range. c. The recreational field lighting shall be extinguished one hour following the end of a scheduled event or the close of the business to the public, whichever is applicable.
Full Breakdown
3 sets special standards for outdoor recreational fields such as football fields, soccer fields, baseball fields, and driving ranges because of their unique nighttime visibility needs and limited hours of operation. Recreational fields are permitted a total luminaire height of 65 feet in any zoning district, and a luminaire taller than 65 feet may only be approved by the Zoning Administrator when the added height will actually result in less light trespass to adjacent lots, tying any height increase directly to a trespass-reduction finding. All field lighting must be directed onto the field or range itself rather than allowed to spill outward, and the field lighting must be extinguished one hour after the end of a scheduled event or the close of business to the public, whichever applies.
B (zero foot-candle at the lot line next to Neighborhood 1/2 areas, one foot-candle elsewhere, full or semi cut-off design); that parking-area lighting is also not subject to the one-hour shutoff timeframe that applies to the field lights. The Zoning Administrator, within Charlotte's Planning, Design & Development Department, administers approvals for any pole height above 65 feet and reviews complaints about spillover.
Violations & Fines
A recreational field operator who installs poles above 65 feet without Zoning Administrator approval, fails to direct lighting onto the field, or leaves field lights on past the one-hour post-event cutoff is in violation of UDO Section 16.2.C.3, subject to zoning enforcement action and required remediation of the fixtures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Charlotte park install 80-foot stadium lights?
Do ballfield lights have to shut off right after a game?
Does the field lighting exception cover the parking lot too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charlotte
Compare Charlotte to another location·View the North Carolina outdoor lighting overview
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