Gaithersburg, MD Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

5) foot-candles at the property boundary. That boundary limit works together with subsection (E)(3), which requires that lighting on any property abutting land zoned or developed for single-family dwellings be equipped with supplemental opaque shielding on the residential-property side of the fixture specifically to reduce glare from direct light-source exposure. Parking lot lighting carries its own trespass rule at subsection (G): fixtures must be installed and maintained so they do not reflect or cause glare into abutting or facing residential premises, and must not create reflection or glare that interferes with the safe vision of drivers on adjoining streets.

Poles or structures supporting that lighting within or next to parking areas must also be protected from vehicle damage by curbs, posts, or similar barriers. These standards apply to the installation and replacement of lighting fixtures tied to any building or use citywide, with the same narrow exemptions as the shielding rule (FAA lighting, emergency responder lighting, required exit/stair lighting, underwater pool lighting, and temporary holiday lighting), and existing fixtures installed before the section's effective date remain legally nonconforming if they predate the standard.