Kendall County, IL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Section 36-1013(11) governs lighting for all off-street parking and loading facilities other than residential driveways, requiring conformance with Illuminating Engineering Society of North America standards. Subsection (b) states the core anti-glare rule: "To reduce glare onto adjacent properties, only fully shielded or cut-off light fixtures are allowed. Fully shielded means that no light is emitted above the horizontal plane of the luminaries. Flat lenses are allowed. 2) footcandles," and lighting "shall be designed to avoid casting direct light or glare onto the adjacent residential property," using pole or luminary-mounted shields or dense vegetation.

0 footcandles at the boundary. Mounting height for parking lot light standards is capped at 20 feet, and nonresidential lighting must switch off within 60 minutes after business hours except security lighting, unless the PBZ Committee approves otherwise. Photometric plans are mandatory supporting documents for any lot with 30 or more spaces, submitted with the special use, final planned development or site plan review. A property owner who believes stricter compliance is unwarranted, or the Zoning Administrator granting higher levels for uses like ball fields or gas stations, both route through PBZ Committee appeal.