Pinellas County, FL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Core rule
- No glare or light trespass onto abutting property
- Light trespass defined as
- Unwanted light crossing property lines
- Street lighting
- Exempt from entire lighting section
- Government/school facilities
- Exempt, voluntary compliance encouraged
- Also exempt
- Temporary construction/emergency, seasonal, flag lighting
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Pinellas County only
Summary
Unincorporated Pinellas County bans outdoor lighting that lets glare or light trespass, unwanted light crossing a property line, reach an abutting property. Street lights, government facility lighting, temporary construction and emergency lighting, and seasonal or flag lighting are all exempt from the rule.
(a)General standards. All outdoor lighting devices shall be installed in conformance with the provisions of this Code and the Florida Building Code. The provisions of this section are not applicable to street lighting.(1)All outdoor lighting shall be designed and installed to prevent glare and light trespass on abutting property. Light trespass is when unwanted light crosses property lines...(c)Exemptions. The following are exempt from the requirements of this section:(1)Street lights. Located in public right-of-way and/or along private roadways.(2)Government facilities. Outdoor light fixtures on, or in connection with facilities and land owned or operated by the federal, state, and/or local government, and the Pinellas County School Board.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124).
Full Breakdown
Pinellas County Code § 138-3509(a)(1) states the general light-trespass standard within the county's outdoor lighting section, which governs new development and site plan review in the unincorporated area only. All outdoor lighting devices must be installed in conformance with this Code and the Florida Building Code, and must be designed and installed to prevent both glare and light trespass onto abutting property; the code defines light trespass as unwanted light crossing property lines. This trespass standard sits alongside the section's full cut-off fixture and fixture-height requirements in the same division, so a light that both spills glare across a lot line and lacks a full cut-off shield can violate more than one part of § 138-3509 at once.
The section carves out several exemptions from its requirements, including this trespass rule: public street lights in the right-of-way or along private roadways; outdoor fixtures on facilities owned or operated by federal, state or local government and the Pinellas County School Board, though voluntary compliance is encouraged; temporary construction and emergency lighting that is discontinued once the work or emergency ends; hazard warning lighting required by federal or state regulators; seasonal lighting customary to a holiday; and up-directed lighting used to illuminate flags. Street lighting is exempt from the entire section, not just the trespass clause.
Violations & Fines
Installing or operating outdoor lighting that casts unwanted light across a property line onto an abutting lot, outside the listed exemptions, is a code violation subject to the county's general penalty under § 1-8: up to a $500 fine, with each day the fixture continues to trespass light treated as a separate, continuing offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as light trespass under Pinellas County's code?
Is my neighbor's floodlight shining onto my yard a violation?
Does the light trespass rule apply to holiday lights?
Are government buildings exempt from the light trespass rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pinellas County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pinellas County to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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