High Point, NC Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Cutoff trigger
- Fixtures over 4,050 lumens
- Max lot-line illumination, residential
- 1.0 footcandle
- Max lot-line illumination, commercial
- 2.5 footcandles
- Max fixture height
- 35 feet (45 ft limited cases)
- Wall packs
- Must always be cut-off
- First violation penalty
- $50 civil penalty
Summary
High Point requires cut-off fixtures on any outdoor light producing more than 4,050 lumens, the threshold Development Ordinance Section 5.10.6.C sets to stop light trespass onto neighboring property. Fixtures above that output must be located, angled, or shielded to keep light on the intended area and off adjacent lots or the night sky, and wall packs and floodlights must always be cut-off or shielded.
C.Light Trespass 1.All outdoor light fixtures that produce more than 4,050 lumens shall be cut-off fixtures that are located, angled, or shielded to focus light on the intended subject or area and prevent light trespass onto adjacent properties or skyward as depicted in Figure 5.10.6.C, Cut-Off Light Fixtures. The lumen output of a lighting fixture is specified by the manufacturer.2.Exterior lighting devices that produce 4,050 lumens (and need not be cut-off, angled, or shielded) include, but are not limited, to:(a)200 watt standard incandescent;(b)150 watt tungsten-halogen (quartz);(c)50 watt high pressure sodium;(d)50 watt cool white fluorescent; and(e)30 watt low pressure sodium.3.Wall packs shall be cut-off and floodlights shall be shielded (e.g., true cut-off type bulb or light source not visible from off-site) to direct light downward and eliminate light pollution above the facade of a structure.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 9 | Development Ordinance: Supplement 14).
Full Breakdown
6, General Standards for On-Site Exterior Lighting, sets three baseline rules for every outdoor fixture in High Point: a maximum illumination value measured at the lot line, a maximum mounting height, and the light trespass standard in subsection C. C. The ordinance defines the threshold by listing common fixtures that fall under it and therefore need no shielding: 200-watt standard incandescent, 150-watt tungsten-halogen, 50-watt high-pressure sodium, 50-watt cool white fluorescent, and 30-watt low-pressure sodium bulbs. Anything brighter, most LED area and flood lighting used on commercial and multifamily sites, crosses the line and must be cut-off.
3 layers a specific rule onto two common fixture types: wall packs must always be cut-off, and floodlights must be shielded so the light source is not visible from off-site, both aimed to direct light downward and keep pollution off the building facade. 5 footcandles, and subsection B's 35-foot maximum pole height (45 feet in limited cases). 3, including special events, holiday displays, FAA-required lighting, and short-duration motion-sensor security lighting, but the light-trespass cutoff rule otherwise applies to every exterior fixture installed on a development site in High Point, North Carolina.
Violations & Fines
An unshielded fixture over 4,050 lumens, or a wall pack or floodlight that is not cut-off, is a Development Ordinance violation under Section 9.3.4, Use in Violation. The Planning and Development Director can require the fixture be replaced or re-aimed and assess civil penalties starting at $50 for a first violation, escalating under Section 9.9.5 to $500 per day for a fourth or later violation until the light trespass is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What outdoor lights need to be shielded in High Point?
How bright can lighting be at my property line if I'm next to a house?
Are floodlights and wall packs treated differently under the light trespass rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in High Point
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