Coeur d'Alene, ID Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- CC district lighting cap
- Greater than 2 foot-candles is prohibited
- NC district lighting cap
- Greater than 1 foot-candle is prohibited
- Fixture design
- Cutoff design to prevent spillover
- Business park rule
- Shielded to avoid glare on adjoining building sites
- Electronic sign brightness
- 0.3 foot candles above ambient light
- Default infraction penalty
- $100 under § 1.28.010
Summary
In the City of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, lighting greater than two foot-candles is prohibited in a Community Commercial (CC) district, and every fixture must be a cutoff design to prevent spillover. Neighborhood Commercial sites face a one foot-candle cap, and business parks must shield lighting to avoid glare on adjoining building sites.
The following design standards shall apply to all uses within a CC district: ... ... F. Lighting greater than two (2) foot-candles is prohibited. All lighting fixtures shall be a "cutoff" design to prevent spillover.
Full Breakdown
Section 17.05.1270 lists the design standards that apply to all uses within a CC district, and item F is the light spillover rule: lighting greater than two (2) foot-candles is prohibited, and all lighting fixtures shall be a "cutoff" design to prevent spillover. The code does not name a measuring point, so the two foot-candle figure and the cutoff requirement are the operative words.
The Neighborhood Commercial district has the same rule with a tighter number. Section 17.05.1070(F) prohibits lighting greater than one foot-candle and requires the same "cutoff" fixture design to prevent spillover. Signs are handled in Title 15: an illuminated Sign, including an Electronic Message Display, must have technology that automatically dims according to ambient light conditions, and the display shall not operate at brightness levels of more than 0.3 foot candles above ambient light, measured at 100 feet for signs of 0 to 100 square feet, 150 feet for 101 to 350 square feet, 200 feet for 351 to 650 square feet and 250 feet for 651 to 672 square feet (§ 15.50.400(D)). Billboard lighting must be directed toward the display surface and, if necessary, shielded to prevent light from interfering with the quiet enjoyment of nearby properties (§ 15.50.400(C)).
Commercial business parks have their own sentence in § 17.07.765: each building site shall have adequate lighting for structures, parking and storage areas, walkways and vehicle entrances and exits, and lighting shall be shielded to avoid casting glare on adjoining building sites.
Glare is also a citywide performance standard. Under § 17.07.130, in a manufacturing district intense glare produced by an activity shall not be detrimental beyond the boundary of the district, and in all other zoning districts a use producing intense glare shall be carried out within a completely enclosed structure so that neither a public nuisance nor hazard is created at or beyond lot lines. Section 17.07.110 prohibits any use that violates those standards even where the zone otherwise permits it.
Violations & Fines
A fixture that is not a cutoff design, or lighting above the foot-candle cap, violates a mandatory design standard. Under § 1.28.010 that is a misdemeanor unless an infraction penalty is provided: a fine of not more than $1,000, up to 180 days in jail, or both. The default infraction penalty is $100, and each day is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the lighting limit in a Community Commercial district in the City of Coeur d'Alene?
What kind of fixtures are required?
Do electronic signs have a brightness limit?
Does intense glare from an industrial site have to stay on its own lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Coeur d'Alene
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