Hampton, VA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Parking, business, residential, manufacturing lighting
- Direction required
- Away from public ways/streets
- Scope
- All zoning districts citywide
- Enforced by
- Zoning administrator
Summary
Hampton, Virginia requires that lighting on parking, business, residential, and manufacturing properties be designed and aimed to reflect all light away from public streets, under Hampton Zoning Ordinance § 1-25.
When provided, lighting of parking areas or business, residential, or manufacturing or storage areas or structures, and of signs, billboards or poster panels, shall be so designed and arranged as to reflect all light away from all public ways or streets.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31 | Zoning: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Hampton's Sec. 1-25 sets one citywide standard for outdoor lighting: whenever lighting is provided for parking areas, business, residential, or manufacturing and storage areas or structures, or for signs, billboards, or poster panels, it must be designed and arranged so all light reflects away from public ways or streets. The rule reaches every zoning district rather than singling out commercial or industrial uses, so a homeowner's floodlight or a business's parking-lot pole light is held to the same standard. The zoning administrator enforces the requirement through the standard permit review process.
Violations & Fines
Lighting that fails to reflect away from public ways or streets violates Sec. 1-25 and is enforceable as a zoning violation under § 1-11, including corrective orders and fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hampton regulate light shining onto the street from my property?
Does this rule apply to homes or just businesses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hampton
Compare Hampton to another location·View the Virginia outdoor lighting overview
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