Loveland, CO Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

02 of the Loveland Unified Development Code, "Restrictions on Glare and Nuisance Lighting," governs light trespass onto adjacent property in this Larimer County, Colorado home-rule city. 1) foot-candle as a result of the on-site lighting. A separate rule targets crossings into homes specifically: exterior lighting of nonresidential uses must be shielded or directed away from residentially used property so that direct or indirect light is not disturbing, offensive, annoying, or a nuisance or safety hazard to the occupants there. The section also requires all exterior fixtures, including roadway, parking lot, walkway, and building-mounted lights, to be full cut-off with flat lenses and shielded so light falls only on the structure being lit or the ground; lamps on nonresidential properties cannot be directly visible from adjoining residential-zone properties.

The Director may waive the full-cut-off requirement where neighborhood character or architectural style warrants it and glare and sky glow are minimized, and unshielded decorative fixtures are allowed in the DT (Downtown) zone if mounted no higher than 12 feet and not intense enough to cause annoyance. 01 requires a point-by-point photometric lighting plan for commercial building permits and qualifying development review applications, including foot-candle readings extending 20 feet outward from the property line, the same buffer distance used in the overspill cap. 02(E) further bars most exterior lighting between 10:00 PM and sunrise unless needed for safety, security, or an active after-hours use where alternatives like motion-sensor lighting are inadequate.

These standards took effect November 20, 2018 and remain part of the current UDC (Title 18 of the Loveland Municipal Code numbering), which is codified separately from the general Municipal Code by EncodePlus.