Hendersonville, TN Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Light trespass cap
- 1.0 foot-candle max at adjoining residential lot line
- Shielding trigger
- Fixtures over 150 watts must be fully shielded
- Parking lot lighting
- 0.2 to 10 foot-candles minimum/maximum
- Canopy/fuel center lighting
- Capped at 30 foot-candles, fully recessed
- Penalty
- $50.00 fine, each day a separate offense
- Governing law
- Zoning Ordinance 2025-19, rev. 4 Feb 2026
Summary
Hendersonville caps light spilling from a commercial property onto a neighboring residential lot at one foot-candle measured at the property line, and requires any fixture over 150 watts to be fully shielded against glare and spillover under the city's 2025 Zoning Ordinance.
11.3.2 | LIGHT DISTRACTION
Light fixtures in excess of 150 watts shall be fully shielded to prevent glare or spillover onto adjacent lots and streets. No exterior lighting may be used in any manner that could interfere with the safe movement of motor vehicles on public thoroughfares. Specifically, the following types of light trespass are prohibited:
A. Any light not designed for roadway illumination that produces direct or reflected glare that could interfere with a driver's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.
B. Any light that may be confused with, or construed as, a traffic control device, except as authorized by state, federal, or local government.
11.3.3 | LIGHT TRESPASS
No lighting source from a commercial use shall cause more than one foot-candle of illumination of cross the property line of an adjoining residentially zoned property.
Full Breakdown
3 of Zoning Ordinance 2025-19 (adopted October 28, 2025, revised February 4, 2026). 3, titled "Light Trespass," sets the core numeric limit: no lighting source from a commercial use may cause more than one foot-candle of illumination across the property line of an adjoining residentially zoned property. 2, "Light Distraction," which requires any light fixture over 150 watts to be fully shielded to prevent glare or spillover onto adjacent lots and streets, bars exterior lighting that could interfere with the safe movement of vehicles on public thoroughfares, and specifically prohibits two categories of trespass: (A) any non-roadway light producing direct or reflected glare that could interfere with a driver's ability to safely operate a vehicle, and (B) any light that could be confused with or mistaken for a traffic control device, unless authorized by a government agency.
2 and a maximum of 10 foot-candles, with canopy lighting (such as at fuel centers) capped at 30 foot-candles and canopy fixtures fully recessed into the ceiling. 7. 7, and property owners cannot receive a building permit or certificate of occupancy without meeting them.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 4.13 of the Zoning Ordinance makes any violation of the ordinance, including the Chapter 11.3 lighting standards, a misdemeanor punishable by a $50.00 fine, with additional daily penalties available as provided by law. Each day a lighting violation continues is treated as a separate offense, so an unshielded fixture or a light exceeding the one foot-candle trespass cap left uncorrected accrues a new $50.00 penalty daily until it is brought into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can a Hendersonville business let spill onto my yard?
What lighting is outright prohibited under Hendersonville's rules?
What happens if a business ignores a light trespass complaint?
Does the one-foot-candle trespass limit apply between two houses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hendersonville
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