Kenosha County, WI Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Property-line light cap
- 0.5 footcandles above ambient, §12.15.010(b)
- Verification method
- Photometric plan reviewed by county
- Min. parking-lot lighting
- 2 footcandles average, §12.15.010(c)
- Fixture height cap
- 25 ft (≤20 spaces) / 30 ft (>20 spaces)
- Flashing/flickering lighting
- Prohibited under §12.15.010(e)
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Planning and Development
Summary
Kenosha County's zoning ordinance caps how much light a business, manufacturing, institutional or park-recreational property can throw onto a neighbor: Section 12.15.010(b) limits illumination measured at the property line to 0.5 footcandles above ambient nighttime conditions, verified by a photometric plan, in the county's unincorporated towns.
(b) Intensity of Illumination. In no instance shall the amount of illumination attributable to exterior lighting as measured at the property line exceed 0.5 footcandles above ambient lighting conditions on a cloudless night. This will be verified by a photometric plan of the property.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 37 (2026), passed March 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
5 footcandles above ambient conditions on a cloudless night, a figure the applicant proves with a submitted photometric plan reviewed by the Department of Planning and Development. 5 footcandles at the boundary line. 010(d)), which limits how far excess light can carry toward adjoining land. Like the shielding standard in subsection (a), the trespass cap applies only in business, manufacturing, institutional and park-recreational districts within unincorporated towns that have adopted county zoning; it does not reach the City of Kenosha, the City of Lake Geneva, or the county's villages, each of which enforces its own lighting code. 15's limits.
Violations & Fines
A site exceeding the 0.5-footcandle property-line limit is subject to the ordinance's general penalty under Section 12.53.010: a forfeiture of $10 to $500 per violation plus prosecution costs, with each day of continued noncompliance treated as a separate offense and unpaid forfeitures defaulting to up to 30 days in the county jail. The Department of Planning and Development can also withhold approval of the site's photometric plan until the design is revised to meet the cap.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the 0.5-footcandle light trespass limit measured?
Does the light-trespass cap apply to a house next to a farm field?
What happens if a site plan shows light exceeding 0.5 footcandles at the property line?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kenosha County
Compare Kenosha County to another location·View the Wisconsin outdoor lighting overview
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