Durham, NC Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Section 7.4.3 of the Durham Unified Development Ordinance is where light trespass is controlled. It opens with a site-wide rule: all site lighting must be designed so that illumination, measured in foot-candles on the pavement within the lighted area, stays between the minimum and maximum in the section's table. Those limits run from 0.0 minimum and 5.0 maximum for architectural, landscape and decorative lighting and most walkways, to 2.0 and 24.0 for canopy area lighting, 0.5 and 8.0 for multifamily parking lots, 0.5 and 10.0 for nonresidential parking lots and storage-area security lighting, 1.0 and 15.0 for entrances and pedestrian passages, and 0.5 and 24.0 for vehicle sales and display. On-site walkways between building entrances, or from parking to an entrance, are held to 0.2 minimum and 5.0 maximum.

The trespass limit itself is in 7.4.3.B. At the edge of the property line, the maximum is 0.5 foot-candles where the neighboring property is zoned residential, 5.0 foot-candles where it is zoned nonresidential, and 5.0 foot-candles along a street. When a development is unified with shared parking or other measures shown on a site plan, those maximums apply only to the exterior lot lines of the project, and interior lot lines are exempt.

Height is the second control. Under 7.4.3.C, directional or full cut-off fixtures, designed so no light is emitted above a horizontal line parallel to the ground, can stand 30 feet above grade if they sit at least 50 feet from a residential property line, and only 15 feet if they sit within 50 feet of one. Non-directional fixtures under 7.4.3.D are capped at 15 feet above grade and must be translucent or have baffles to prevent views of the light source. Section 7.4.3.F requires lighting to be oriented so it does not direct glare or excessive illumination onto streets and adjacent residences.

The rest of the section closes the remaining gaps. Under-canopy fixtures, lenses included, cannot project below the bottom of the canopy (7.4.3.E). Accent lighting on architecture, landscaping or art must be located, aimed or shielded to limit spill into the night sky (7.4.3.G). Blinking or flashing lights are prohibited unless they are a required safety feature such as a tower beacon, or are permitted as part of a sign under Article 11 (7.4.3.H).