De Pere, WI Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Limit onto residential lots
- 0.20 footcandles
- Limit onto other zoning
- 0.50 footcandles
- Measured at
- Receiving lot's property line
- Compliance methods
- Shielding, aim, height, location
- Governing section
- § 14-95(2), Table 9-5
Summary
De Pere caps how much light a property can spill onto its neighbors: 0.20 footcandles measured at the property line where the light lands on a residential lot, and 0.50 footcandles for any other zoning. Fixture shielding, aim and mounting height must achieve it.
(2) Light trespass. (a) Outdoor lighting must be designed, installed and maintained to confine illumination to the subject property. Maximum light trespass onto adjacent property is limited to the levels established in Table 9-5, as measured at any point along the property line of the lot receiving the spillover light. Compliance with these light trespass regulations must be achieved by fixture shielding, directional control designed into fixtures, fixture locations, height, aim or a combination of these or other factors. Table 9-5 — MAXIMUM LIGHT TRESPASS (SPILLOVER) Zoning (Lot Receiving Spillover Light) Maximum (Footcandles) Residential 0.20 All Other Zoning 0.50
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Section 14-95(2) of the zoning ordinance's outdoor lighting standards sets numeric light trespass limits designed to confine illumination to the source property. 50 footcandles for all other zoning. 10 vertical footcandles at 150 feet when aimed nearly head-on, and it requires spotlights and floodlights to be aimed so the beam does not cross the property line at all. m. The development services director enforces the lighting article under the same Article XV remedies as the rest of the zoning ordinance, including municipal citations under city code § 1-11.
Violations & Fines
A property that spills more than 0.20 footcandles onto an adjacent residential lot, or more than 0.50 footcandles onto any other adjacent zoning, measured at the receiving property line, is out of compliance with Section 14-95(2). The development services director enforces the standard, and the city may issue a municipal citation under city code § 1-11 for an unshielded or misaimed fixture that exceeds the limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can spill onto a De Pere neighbor's residential yard?
Is the limit different for commercial properties?
How does a property owner meet the light trespass limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in De Pere
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Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Brown County handle light trespass & shielding.