Norfolk County does not handle light trespass complaints. Each town's code enforcement, with common-law nuisance backstop, addresses light trespass. Residential limits typically 0.5-1.0 foot-candles at property line.
Light trespass enforcement in Norfolk County is municipal. Where local bylaws exist (Brookline, Dover, Sherborn, Medfield), property line limits typically cap illumination at 0.5-1.0 foot-candles on residential property and 2-5 foot-candles on commercial. Security lights must be aimed and shielded to illuminate only the owner's property. Floodlights aimed at neighbors are prohibited under most bylaws and can support a private nuisance claim under Massachusetts common law (Rattigan v. Wile, 2007). String lights and decorative lighting must not create glare. Holiday lighting often has seasonal exemptions. Commercial properties face stricter standards with measured lumen limits at property boundaries. MassDEP 310 CMR 7.10 nuisance authority not used for light.
No county enforcement. Municipal warning and 30-day correction; $100-$300 fines thereafter. Commercial: up to $1,000. Common-law nuisance suit: damages, injunction.
Norfolk County, MA
Norfolk County does not regulate amplified music. Each municipality requires entertainment licenses or one-day amplified sound permits under MGL c. 140 §183A...
Norfolk County, MA
Norfolk County does not handle abandoned vehicles. MGL c. 90B §2 allows police to remove abandoned vehicles after 72 hours. Quincy, Brookline, and Weymouth t...
Norfolk County, MA
Norfolk County does not regulate chickens or livestock. Each town sets its own rules via zoning and board of health regulations. Suburban towns often restric...
Holbrook, MA
Holbrook follows the Massachusetts statewide framework: residential open burning is permitted only between January 15 and May 1 with a daily permit from the ...
Norfolk County, MA
Norfolk County does not restrict rainwater harvesting. MA has no statewide restrictions on residential rain barrel or cistern use. Many Norfolk County towns ...
Norfolk County, MA
Brookline enacted the first MA town-wide ban on new artificial turf on town property (2023 Town Meeting Art. 14). Other Norfolk County towns allow turf resid...
See how Holbrook's light trespass rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.