Dearborn, MI Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 2.12(C)(1)-(2)
- Lot-line cap, general
- 1.5 foot-candles
- Lot-line cap near residential
- 0.5 foot-candles
- Max intensity within site
- 10 foot-candles
- Uniformity ratio cap
- 15-to-1
- Photometric grid requirement
- 25-foot on-center grid
Summary
Dearborn caps site lighting at 1.5 foot-candles at any lot line, dropping to 0.5 foot-candles next to a residential district, and requires every fixture to be shielded and aimed downward so light does not spill onto neighboring property. The Zoning Administrator enforces the limits through required lighting and photometric plans.
C. Site lighting. 1. Type. All site lighting, including, but not limited to, free-standing, canopy, pole, building mounted, window/window frame/window opening mounted (visible from outside the building), and landscape, shall be fully shielded and directed downward to prevent off-site glare and illumination. 2. Intensity. The intensity of light within a site shall not exceed ten (10) foot-candles within any part of the site and one and one-half (1.5) foot-candles at any lot line. Exceptions: a. Where a site abuts or faces a residential zoning district or residential use, a maximum of one-half (0.5) foot-candles is permitted at the lot line of the site.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-07: Code: Updated through: July 22, 2026 | Zoning: Updated through: July 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
12(C) sets Dearborn's light-trespass rule as a numeric lot-line limit paired with a fixture-aiming requirement. 5 foot-candles measured at any lot line. 5 foot-candles, though approved outdoor sales areas and fuel-station canopy areas may run up to 20 foot-candles internally as long as they still meet the lot-line limits. 3 caps the swing between the brightest and dimmest points on a lot at 15-to-1 so a site cannot mask trespass with uneven hot spots. " Before installation, subsection B requires a lighting plan and, where site plan review applies, a photometric plan measuring illumination on a 25-foot grid that projects 25 feet onto adjacent properties or to the setback line, whichever is greater, so trespass is checked with real photometric data rather than a visual estimate.
Violations & Fines
The Zoning Administrator reviews the required lighting and photometric plans before a site's fixtures are installed or during site plan review, and can require an applicant to correct a design that exceeds the 1.5 (or 0.5 near residential) foot-candle lot-line cap. A site found exceeding these limits, or using fixtures that are not shielded and downward-directed as C.1 requires, is out of compliance with the zoning ordinance and subject to the city's standard municipal civil infraction enforcement until the fixtures are corrected or shielded.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can my outdoor lighting be at my property line in Dearborn?
Does Dearborn require light fixtures to be aimed away from neighbors?
What proof does the city require that lighting won't trespass onto a neighbor's yard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dearborn
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Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle light trespass & shielding.