Huntington, NY Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Chapter 143 defines 'light trespass' at § 143-3 as light projected onto the property of another, into public rights-of-way or into waterways when it is not required or permitted to do so, and § 143-2(A) requires every exterior luminaire in Town to be designed, installed and maintained to avoid it. The operative ban sits in two nearly identical sections split by property type: § 143-7(B), covering non-residentially-utilized properties, states that 'no luminaire shall be located or concentrated so as to produce glare or direct illumination across the boundary lines of the property nor shall any such light create a nuisance or hazard or detract from the use and enjoyment of adjacent property,' and § 143-13(A) applies the same language to single-family and two-family residential lots.

Section 143-6(A) lists 'light trespass' among seven conditions all exterior lighting town-wide must be designed to prevent, alongside glare, over-lighting, energy waste and unnecessary sky glow. Even lighting that predates the chapter's January 1, 2006 effective date and would otherwise be grandfathered loses that protection under § 143-2(C)(1) the moment it causes light trespass onto adjacent properties or waterways, and the Town can order it removed 'at any time' regardless of when it was installed. Site plan applications for non-residential and multi-family projects must include a photometric grid extending at least 20 feet past the property lines specifically 'to assure compliance with light trespass requirements' under § 143-12(A)(5), and the Planning Board can require retrofits if a proposed lighting change would raise output on the site by more than 25%.