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

Section 50-31.2 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. The Chapter treats compliance with the design standards in Section 50-31.3 as proof a property meets that test. Section 50-31.3.B ties the trespass limit to Table 50-31-1, which sets the maximum illumination measured in footcandles at the finished grade: for residential, agricultural and animal-related uses, the cap is 0.5 footcandles at the property line (excluding rights-of-way) and 1.0 footcandle at the right-of-way, with a 10:1 maximum-to-minimum uniformity ratio; for all other uses, the cap rises to 1.0 footcandle at the property line and 2.0 footcandles at the right-of-way, with a 15:1 ratio.

Section 50-31.3.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. These standards apply whenever a covered property builds a new primary structure, expands floor area by more than 25 percent, relocates a structure, or completes renovation work valued at more than 25 percent of the land and building's assessed market value, per Section 50-31.1.A. Public street lighting, temporary seasonal lighting and outdoor recreational field lighting under 80 feet with a 2-footcandle property-line cap are exempted under Section 50-31.1.B.