Broward County, FL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Fixture type
- Full cutoff fixture or equivalent required
- Security-light exemption
- Exempt only from output-reduction timing
- Light trespass limit
- 1/2 to 1 footcandle at property line
- Geographic scope
- Unincorporated Broward only (Sec. 39-2)
- Enforcement
- Chapter 8½ Code Enforcement
Summary
Unincorporated Broward requires full cutoff fixtures and strict glare/light-trespass limits on all outdoor lighting; motion-detecting security lights are exempt only from the automatic output-reduction timing schedule, not from shielding.
d. Motion detecting security lighting is not subject to the output reduction requirements in Section 39-112(b)(4)a. e. All outdoor lighting, including display, sign, building, parking lot, and aesthetic lighting, must use full cutoff fixtures or equivalent. ... j. In no case shall a bulb be exposed beyond the luminaire housing.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72 | Administrative Code: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 39-112(b)(4)e requires all outdoor lighting - display, sign, building, parking lot, and aesthetic - to use full cutoff fixtures or equivalent, with no bulb exposed beyond the luminaire housing. Motion-detecting security lighting gets one narrow break: under Sec. 39-112(b)(4)d it is not subject to the automatic output-reduction requirements that otherwise dim non-security lighting after business hours or 11 p.m. It still must meet the section's cutoff-fixture, glare, and light-trespass standards, which cap light trespass at one-half footcandle at residential/open-space property lines and one footcandle elsewhere. This is Zoning Code Chapter 39, so per Sec. 39-2 it governs only unincorporated Broward; Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Coral Springs set their own outdoor-lighting rules.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 39-112(d) routes enforcement through Chapter 8½, Code Enforcement. Nonconforming fixtures that direct glare onto streets, bike paths, or parking lots must be shielded or redirected within one year of the section's effective date, or brought into compliance during qualifying site renovation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do security lights in Broward County have to be shielded?
Are motion-activated security lights exempt from Broward's lighting rules?
Does this rule apply in Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Broward County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Broward County to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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