Greensboro, NC Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Light trespass cap
- 1 footcandle at residential property line
- Measured at
- abutting residential property line or adjacent street
- Applies to lighting installed after
- June 30, 2010
- Site plans must certify
- compliance with § 30-9-6.6
- Outdoor recreation lighting
- separate standard under § 30-9-6.7
- First violation penalty
- $50 civil citation
Summary
Greensboro's Land Development Ordinance caps outdoor light spilling onto a neighbor's yard at one footcandle measured at any abutting residentially used property line or adjacent street, and every site plan must certify compliance with that light-trespass limit before it's approved.
All outdoor lighting must be located, angled, shielded or limited in intensity so as to cast no direct light or glare exceeding one footcandle at any abutting residentially used property line or on adjacent streets.
Full Breakdown
6 sets the citywide light-trespass ceiling: all outdoor lighting must be located, angled, shielded or limited in intensity so it casts no direct light or glare exceeding one footcandle at any abutting residentially used property line or on adjacent streets. 4. 6 light-trespass limit specifically. 3: single-family detached residential lots, motion-triggered security lights running 15 minutes or less, temporary holiday displays, airport and FAA-required lighting, municipal street lights, and construction or emergency lighting used only for the duration of the work or emergency. 7, which requires lighting plans to minimize nuisance impacts on residential-zoned property through measures like extra landscaping, earlier shut-off times or cutoff fixtures where feasible.
Violations & Fines
A light source that exceeds one footcandle at a residential property line is an LDO violation: after notice under § 30-5-5.2, an uncorrected exceedance draws a civil citation of $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second, $200 for the third and $500 for the fourth and each later violation, with every additional day a separate offense under § 30-5-5.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can spill onto my neighbor's yard from my property in Greensboro?
Do single-family homeowners have to meet the light-trespass standard?
Is a stadium or ballfield light held to the one-footcandle limit?
How does the city confirm a new development won't trespass light onto neighbors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greensboro
Compare Greensboro to another location·View the North Carolina outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle light trespass & shielding.