Linn County, IA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Direction required
- Downward and away from homes
- Applies to
- Off-street parking area lighting
- Standard
- No nuisance light spillover allowed
- Doesn't cover
- Residential yard or porch lights
Summary
Off-street parking lot lighting in unincorporated Linn County must point downward and away from homes and public streets: the code treats spillover light onto residential property as a nuisance.
Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be directed downward and away from residential properties and public streets in such a way as not to create a nuisance. h.Maintenance. Off-street parking areas shall be maintained in good condition and any required marking, surfacing, grading and drainage shall be meet the conditions of approval on an on-going basis. i.Location. Off-street parking areas, including access driveways, may occupy part of a required yard space, however, required off-street parking areas: 1.Shall not occupy required buffer areas between commercial or industrial lots and adjacent non-commercial or non-industrial lots, and no parking area shall be constructed in the required side yard of a building that is adjacent to a residential district. 2.Shall not be located in the required front yard of any agricultural or residential district; except that parking is allowed in any legal driveway within the front yard in an agricultural or residential district, and provided further that all parking areas shall be set back a minimum of five feet from all property lines.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Linn County Code § 107-93(e)(5)(g) requires any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area to be directed downward and away from residential properties and public streets so it doesn't create a nuisance. It's the code's only general light-trespass standard, written into the off-street parking design rules rather than a stand-alone lighting ordinance, so it reaches commercial, industrial, and other uses with parking lots, not homes' porch or yard lights. Marking and lighting details can also be required as part of site plan or subdivision review.
Violations & Fines
Parking lot lighting that spills glare onto neighboring homes or streets can be flagged as a nuisance during site plan review or after a complaint, requiring fixtures to be redirected or shielded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this cover house or yard lights?
What counts as a violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Linn County
Compare Linn County to another location·View the Iowa outdoor lighting overview
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