Fort Myers, FL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Property-line cap
- 0.5 foot-candle at the property line
- Residential spillover cap
- 0.2 foot-candle onto adjacent residential land
- Fixture type
- Fully shielded, full cutoff luminaires required
- Mercury vapor lamps
- Prohibited outright, citywide
- Pole height near homes
- 15-ft max within 50 ft of residential
Summary
Fort Myers caps outdoor lighting at 0.5 foot-candle at the property line and 0.2 foot-candle onto adjacent residential land, and requires fully shielded, full cutoff fixtures under the Land Development Code.
The purpose of this section is to uphold public, safety and welfare by regulating the night time visual environment; minimizing light pollution, glare, and light trespass through regulation of the form and use of outdoor lighting... In no case may the illumination exceed 0.5 foot-candle measured at the property line. The amount of illumination projected onto a residentially zoned property or use from another property, may not exceed 0.2 foot-candle measured at ten feet from the property line onto the adjacent residential property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 60).
Full Breakdown
Fort Myers Land Development Code § 134.3.8 regulates outdoor lighting to curb light pollution, glare, and light trespass. All new luminaires in the city (part of Lee County) must comply, and site lighting is required for non-residential development and off-street parking areas in multi-family residential projects. Illumination measured at the property line may not exceed 0.5 foot-candle, and light spilling onto an adjacent residentially zoned property may not exceed 0.2 foot-candle measured ten feet in from that property line. Fixtures generally must be fully shielded, full cutoff luminaires with recessed bulbs and flat lenses; mercury vapor lamps are banned outright, and freestanding light poles within 50 feet of residential property are capped at 15 feet.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliant fixtures or exceedances block the final certificate of compliance; site-verified foot-candle readings and a professional engineer's letter of substantial compliance are required, and any post-permit fixture change needs an approved revision before it can be installed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fort Myers regulate outdoor lighting to prevent light pollution?
Are mercury vapor lights allowed in Fort Myers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Myers
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Fort Myers to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lee County handle light trespass & shielding.