Salt Lake County, UT Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Max luminaire height
- 18 feet
- Direction requirement
- Shielded, directed away from residential property
- Parking lights curfew
- Off one hour after business closes
- Security light exception
- Up to 25% of total fixtures
Summary
In Salt Lake County's unincorporated MD-1 and MD-3 mixed development zones, outdoor light fixtures are capped at 18 feet, must be low-intensity and shielded, and directed away from adjacent residential property or uses.
The maximum height of luminaries shall be eighteen feet unless the planning commission requires a lower height as part of the conditional use approval. The light shall be low intensity, shielded from uses on adjoining lots, and directed away from adjacent property in a residential zone or an adjacent residential use. All parking luminaries, except those required for security, must be extinguished one hour after the end of business hours. The exception for security lighting applies to twenty-five percent of the total luminaries used, unless the planning commission approves a higher percentage as part of the conditional use approval.
(Ord. 1113 § 1 (part), 1990)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
Salt Lake County's mixed development zone standards cap outdoor luminaire height at 18 feet unless the planning commission requires it lower as a condition of approval. Fixtures must be low intensity, shielded from adjoining lots, and directed away from adjacent property in a residential zone or an adjacent residential use: the county's light-trespass rule for these commercial/residential transition districts. Parking lot lights, apart from security fixtures, must be turned off one hour after business closes; the security exception is capped at 25 percent of total fixtures unless the planning commission approves more.
Violations & Fines
Fixtures exceeding the height cap or aimed onto neighboring residential property violate the conditional use approval; the planning commission can deny or revoke approval, and code enforcement can cite the property under general infraction penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business in an MD zone point floodlights at my yard?
How late can parking lot lights stay on in these zones?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake County
Compare Salt Lake County to another location·View the Utah outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.