Indianapolis, IN Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Non-ROW property line cap
- 1.0 foot-candle, all uses
- Right-of-way cap, residential
- 1.0 foot-candle
- Right-of-way cap, commercial
- 2.0 foot-candles
- Recreational field cap at property line
- 2.0 foot-candles
- Exceeding the table requires
- IESNA Handbook documentation
- Geographic reach
- countywide under Sec. 740-101
Summary
Indianapolis-Marion County zoning limits how much light can spill onto a neighbor's land: Table 744-604-1 caps illumination at 1.0 foot-candle at any non-right-of-way property line for every use type, residential included, and lets commercial and mixed uses run brighter, up to 2.0 foot-candles, only at the right-of-way. Applicants may exceed those levels only by citing the IESNA Lighting Handbook.
A.Where exterior lighting is provided, lighting levels for all areas and shall be designed and located so that the illumination measured in foot-candles at grade level shall comply with the standards in the following table unless the applicant requests an alternative lighting level for a specific area and supports that request with information that the requested lighting level is consistent with recommended levels in the Illuminating Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) Lighting Handbook. Table 744-604-1: Light Level Standards (in foot-candles): Residential Uses - Minimum at Entrances 2.0, Minimum for Walkways and Parking Areas 0.8, Maximum Average for Walkways and Parking Areas 1.5, Maximum at Non-Right-of-Way Property Line 1.0, Maximum at Right-of-Way 1.0. Automobile Fueling Station; Financial and Insurance Services; Food, Beverage, and Indoor Recreation and Entertainment; Retail, Light General; Grocery Store; Liquor Store; Pawn Shop; or Commercial Parking Garage Uses - Minimum at Entrances 4.0, Minimum for Walkways and Parking Areas 2.0, Maximum Average for Walkways and Parking Areas 4.5, Maximum at Non-Right-of-Way Property Line 1.0, Maximum at Right-of-Way 2.0.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 47 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. A sets the light-trespass ceiling as part of Chapter 744, Article VI, the same article behind the county's full cutoff fixture rule; both apply to "all lands within Marion County, Indiana" under Sec. 740-101, so a neighbor's exterior-lighting complaint can be measured against this table anywhere in the county, not only inside the old city limits. The table sets five checkpoints for every use category: minimum foot-candles at entrances and at walkways/parking areas, a maximum average across walkways and parking, and separate property-line caps for non-right-of-way lot lines versus the right-of-way itself.
0 at the right-of-way. 5 average across parking. An applicant may exceed the table only by submitting documentation showing the requested level is consistent with the IESNA Lighting Handbook. The property-line cap works together with Sec. m.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the property-line light-trespass cap is enforced the same way as any other Chapter 744 development standard violation: it is a civil zoning violation under Sec. 740-1005.A.8 for failing to meet zoning district development standards. A first offense within 12 months is resolved by admission and payment of a civil penalty through the ordinance violations bureau under Chapter 103; a second violation in that same 12-month window is prosecuted under the enforcement track and penalties fixed in Sec. 103-3, and each day the excess illumination continues counts as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can my neighbor's parking lot lights be at my fence line?
Can a business get approval for brighter lighting than the table allows?
Does this cap apply to ball field or tennis court lighting?
What can I do if a neighboring property's lighting is too bright?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Indianapolis
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