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Florence County, SC Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Fixture requirement
Concealed light source, oriented against trespass and glare
Residential protection
Fixtures near offsite homes must point away from them
Where it applies
Corridor Overlay District along designated corridor roadways
Adopted
Ord. No. 21-2023/24, Jan. 18, 2024

Summary

Within unincorporated Florence County's Corridor Overlay District, County Code § 30-79.6 requires every fixture to use a concealed light source oriented to prevent trespass and glare, and any lighting next to an offsite residential parcel must be aimed away from homes and residentially zoned lots.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Florence County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(a)Trespass and glare. All lighting shall be from a concealed source as viewed from a public roadway and oriented to prevent light trespass and glare.(b)Impact on residential parcels. Lighting adjacent to an offsite residential area shall be directed away from residences and residentially zoned lots.

Full Breakdown

6 of the zoning ordinance's Corridor Overlay District, Division 7, adopted by Ord. No. 21-2023/24 on January 18, 2024. Subsection (a), captioned 'Trespass and glare,' requires all lighting to come from a concealed source as viewed from the public roadway and to be oriented specifically to prevent light trespass and glare rather than merely minimize it. Subsection (b) adds a separate protection for neighbors: wherever a lit site sits adjacent to an offsite residential area, the fixtures must be directed away from those residences and from residentially zoned lots, regardless of whether a home currently occupies the adjoining parcel.

1(a) wherever a property fronts a designated corridor roadway. Because these are development-standard provisions rather than a nuisance ordinance, compliance is verified at the site-plan and building-permit stage rather than through after-the-fact complaint enforcement, and a plan that routes light toward the roadway or an adjoining residence does not receive zoning compliance approval.

Violations & Fines

A corridor overlay site plan or lighting layout that fails to conceal the light source, allows glare or trespass toward the roadway, or aims fixtures toward an adjoining residence or residentially zoned lot does not satisfy § 30-79.6 and is not approved for a certificate of zoning compliance until it is corrected.

Frequently Asked Questions

What outdoor lighting standard applies in unincorporated Florence County's corridor overlay?
County Code § 30-79.6 requires all lighting to come from a concealed source as viewed from the public roadway, oriented to prevent light trespass and glare, and any fixture adjacent to an offsite residential area must be directed away from homes and residentially zoned lots.
Does this rule apply countywide?
No. It applies specifically within the Corridor Overlay District of Chapter 30, Division 7, which layers on top of the base zoning for properties fronting the county's designated corridor roadways, not to every parcel in unincorporated Florence County.
When is compliance checked?
Lighting layouts are reviewed at the site-plan and building-permit stage under the county's zoning compliance process; a plan that fails to conceal the light source or that aims fixtures toward an adjoining residence is not approved until it is corrected to meet § 30-79.6.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Florence County

All Florence County rules

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