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Duluth, MN Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

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

Key Facts

Property-line cap, residential/ag
0.5 footcandles
Property-line cap, all other uses
1.0 footcandle
Right-of-way cap, residential/ag
1.0 footcandle
Right-of-way cap, other uses
2.0 footcandles
Triggers
New structure, 25%+ expansion or renovation

Summary

Duluth caps exterior lighting at the property line for multi-family, commercial, institutional and industrial sites: 0.5 footcandles for residential and agricultural uses and 1.0 footcandle for everything else, under the Unified Development Chapter's exterior lighting standards, adopted specifically to keep new lighting from spilling onto neighboring land.

If installed, all exterior lighting shall meet the functional security needs of the proposed land use without adversely affecting adjacent properties or the community. ... ... B. All lighting shall have the intensities and uniformity ratio consistent with the IESNA lighting handbook, and shall be designed and located so that the illumination measured in footcandles at the finished grade shall comply with the standards in Table 50-31-1, Minimum and Maximum Illumination Values. ... Residential Uses and Agricultural and Animal Related Uses 5 .5 1.0 10:1 All Other Uses 10 1.0 2.0 15:1

View official code

Full Breakdown

2 sets Duluth's baseline test for exterior lighting: all exterior lighting shall meet the functional security needs of the proposed land use without adversely affecting adjacent properties or the community. 3 as proof a property meets that test. 0 footcandles at the right-of-way, with a 15:1 ratio. A backs the numeric limits with a design mandate: exterior lighting must minimize off-site glare, light trespass on adjacent property, and traffic hazards for pedestrians and motorists. A. B.

Violations & Fines

Exterior lighting that pushes past the 0.5 or 1.0 footcandle property-line caps in Table 50-31-1, or that is designed without the shielding needed to avoid light trespass under Section 50-31.3.A, violates the Unified Development Chapter and is enforced by the building official as a Chapter 50 nuisance under Section 50-39. The city issues a correction order and can pursue abatement or an administrative citation under Chapter 12 if the property owner does not bring the fixtures into compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How bright can a neighbor's parking lot lighting be at my property line in Duluth?
If your property is residential or agricultural, the light source's illumination can't exceed 0.5 footcandles at your shared property line. For any other use, the cap rises to 1.0 footcandle, both measured under Table 50-31-1 of the Unified Development Chapter.
When do Duluth's exterior lighting standards kick in?
Whenever a multi-family, mixed-use, commercial, institutional, industrial or parking property builds a new primary structure, expands floor area by more than 25 percent, relocates a structure, or completes renovation work worth more than 25 percent of the land and building's assessed value, under Section 50-31.1.A.
Is street lighting or holiday lighting subject to Duluth's light trespass rules?
No. Section 50-31.1.B exempts public street and right-of-way lighting, temporary decorative seasonal lighting, and temporary construction or emergency lighting from the exterior lighting chapter entirely.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Duluth

Billboard LightingSome RestrictionsDark Sky RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Curb Color RulesSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSignificant Restrictions

All Duluth rules

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