Deerfield Beach, FL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Section 34-60 declares it the city's policy that no artificial light illuminate any portion of the incorporated beach. For new development, floodlights are prohibited and non-egress lighting may not be directly, indirectly, or cumulatively visible from any point on the beach; those visibility terms are defined precisely in Section 34-60(a) by whether an observer standing anywhere on the beach can see the glowing element, its reflection, or the combined glow of many fixtures. For existing structures, Section 34-60(d) requires that decorative, recreational, or other lighting visible from the beach be shielded or screened, or turned off between sunset and sunrise from March 1 through October 31, the sea turtle nesting season.

Dune-crosswalk lighting must go dark on the same seasonal schedule, and window treatments are required above the first floor of seaward-facing multistory buildings so interior light does not reach the sand. No fixture anywhere in the city may be illuminated between sunset and sunrise if its light reaches any portion of the beach. Publicly owned street lights and park lighting at beach access points are held to the same shielding and seasonal shut-off standard under Section 34-60(e). Owners may bring existing fixtures into compliance by repositioning or removing them, replacing exposed sources with fully shielded fixtures, or switching to long-wavelength, low-pressure sodium or LED lamps certified as wildlife lighting.