Jackson, MS Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance Section 1108.07
- Trigger
- Parking lots with 10+ spaces
- Minimum illumination
- 0.5 foot-candle at pavement surface
- Direction requirement
- Light directed away from adjacent property
- Scope
- Citywide, all zoning districts
Summary
Jackson's zoning ordinance requires that any lit parking lot with ten or more spaces direct and reflect its light away from adjacent property and public ways, while illuminating the pavement to at least one-half foot-candle for safety. Zoning Ordinance Section 1108.07 applies citywide to every zoning district, unlike the C80-only shielding rule.
1108.07 Lighting Requirements: Any parking lot containing ten (10) or more parking spaces, which is used during non-daylight hours shall be illuminated during such hours to provide an average intensity of not less than one-half (2) foot candle of light as measured at the surface of the parking space to assist both pedestrians and motorists in avoiding accidents. Any lights or light fixtures used to illuminate any parking lot shall be selected and so arranged as to direct and reflect the light away from any adjacent property or public way.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
07, Lighting Requirements, sits in Article XII-A, Supplementary District Regulations, of the Jackson Zoning Ordinance and applies to every zoning district in the city, not just an overlay or corridor district. It requires that any parking lot containing ten or more parking spaces, used during non-daylight hours, be illuminated to provide an average intensity of not less than one-half foot candle of light at the surface of the parking space, to assist both pedestrians and motorists in avoiding accidents. The same section then addresses spillover directly onto neighbors: any lights or light fixtures used to illuminate a parking lot must be selected and arranged so as to direct and reflect the light away from any adjacent property or public way.
7-B that governs the Corridor 80 (C80) District. 07 even if the fixture meets the minimum foot-candle level. Site Plan Review Committee staff check fixture cut sheets and lighting layout for parking-lot lighting during site plan approval for any development with a ten-space-or-larger lot, and the Zoning Administrator can require re-aiming or shielding of existing fixtures found to glare onto adjoining property after construction.
Violations & Fines
The Zoning Administrator enforces Section 1108.07 under Article XIV-A, Administration and Enforcement; a parking-lot lighting layout that fails the photometric standard or glares onto adjacent property can be rejected at site plan review or, once built, ordered corrected through re-aiming, shielding, or fixture replacement. Continued noncompliance is prosecutable as a misdemeanor under Article XXII-A, Penalties for Violation, with each day of violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my neighbor's business parking lot lights shine into my yard?
Is there a minimum lighting level required for commercial parking lots in Jackson?
Does the parking-lot light trespass rule apply outside the C80 corridor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson
Compare Jackson to another location·View the Mississippi outdoor lighting overview
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