Carroll County, MD Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Self-storage lighting duty
- shielded, focused onto premises only
- Governing section
- § 158.158(F)
- Parking-lot lighting duty
- shielded away from residences and streets
- Parking lighting section
- § 155.051(C)(6)
- No countywide fixture
- no single general light trespass rule
Summary
Carroll County does not run a single county-wide light trespass ordinance; instead it mandates shielded, downcast lighting use by use. Self-service storage facilities must shield and focus all outdoor lighting onto the premises and away from neighbors under § 158.158(F), and required parking-lot lighting carries the same shielding duty under § 155.051(C)(6).
§ 158.158 SELF-SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY. ... (F) All outdoor lighting must be shielded and focused to direct light onto the premises and away from adjoining properties.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through July 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Carroll County addresses light trespass through use-specific standards in its zoning and subdivision chapters rather than one freestanding lighting ordinance. ' That duty sits alongside the facility's other site standards: a 15-foot cap on individual storage unit height, a 500-square-foot cap per unit, and a requirement that structures, fences, and parking areas be screened from off-site view. 153(F)(5), requiring glare-reduction technology and a certified glare hazard analysis. Because these shielding duties are written into individual use sections rather than a unified performance standard, a property owner's obligation to control light spilling onto a neighbor's land depends on which use is on the site, not a single countywide illumination limit.
Violations & Fines
Failure to shield outdoor lighting as required for a self-service storage facility or parking facility is enforced as a zoning violation under § 158.999, carrying a fine of up to $1,000 under the Land Use Article, with each day the unshielded lighting remains a separate offense, plus the chapter's civil penalty schedule running from $50 for a first offense up to $500 for later offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Carroll County have a general light trespass ordinance?
What lighting standard applies to a self-storage facility next to my house?
Are parking lot lights required to be shielded from homes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
Compare Carroll County to another location·View the Maryland outdoor lighting overview
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