Killeen, TX Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Section 31-898(c) opens by declaring that light trespass has a negative impact on the enjoyment and value of the affected adjacent property, and then makes the trespass itself unlawful, not just a design suggestion. The section imposes three concrete duties on every commercial, manufacturing and multifamily property in the city: every outdoor fixture must be shielded to direct the beam downward, every fixture must be oriented so all illumination stays inside the property line, and exterior lighting must be aimed away from adjoining streets and residential properties so the emission cannot be observed from those streets or neighboring lots.

Section 31-899(c) repeats the identical three duties for single-family and two-family residential districts, so a homeowner installing a floodlight faces the same shielding and orientation rule as a shopping center. The trespass ban sits inside the outdoor lighting division adopted by Ordinance No. 24-016 on May 14, 2024, sections 31-896 through 31-899, whose stated purpose is reducing light pollution, glare and unwanted light trespass. Anyone installing new exterior lighting that requires a permit must first request a site plan review from the building official under section 31-898(f) or 31-899(e), and that review checks the fixture's location, height and type against the shielding and trespass standard before the building official signs off.

The division exempts property more than five miles from an active-training military base boundary, lighting installed before the May 2024 effective date, and temporary holiday, civic-event or construction lighting, provided none of those causes light trespass or a driving hazard.