Knoxville, TN Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Footcandle cap
- 1.0 at any lot line
- Cutoff angle
- 75 degrees or less
- Freestanding fixture setback
- 15 ft from residential lot line
- Banned fixtures
- Flicker, laser, searchlights prohibited
- Citation
- Appendix B § 10.2
Summary
Knoxville caps nonresidential and multi-family outdoor lighting at one footcandle at any lot line and requires shielded cutoff luminaires with a 75-degree cutoff angle under the zoning code's exterior lighting article.
1. For townhouse and multi-family dwellings and non-residential developments, the maximum allowable footcandle at any lot line is one footcandle. 2. All luminaires must be of the cut off luminaire design. 3. To be considered a cut off luminaire, the cut off angle must be 75 degrees or less. A cut off luminaire must be designed to completely shield the light source from an observer 3.5 feet above the ground at any point along an abutting lot line.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Appendix B's exterior lighting standards require a lighting plan for every nonresidential, mixed-use, multi-family, and townhouse development; single-family, attached, and two-family dwellings skip the plan but still must meet the lighting standards themselves. The brightness cap is one footcandle at any lot line for townhouse, multi-family, and nonresidential development. Every fixture must be a cutoff luminaire, shielded so the light source isn't visible to someone standing 3.5 feet above ground along an abutting lot line, with a cutoff angle of 75 degrees or less. Freestanding fixtures near residential districts face extra limits: a 15-foot setback from the lot line and a 15-to-20-foot height cap. Flickering, flashing, laser, and searchlight fixtures are prohibited outright.
Violations & Fines
Installing unshielded fixtures that exceed the one-footcandle lot-line limit, skip the required cutoff design, or use banned fixtures like search or laser lights violates Appendix B § 10.2 and can hold up site plan approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can outdoor lighting be at a Knoxville property line?
Are single-family homes exempt from Knoxville's lighting rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knoxville
Compare Knoxville to another location·View the Tennessee outdoor lighting overview
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