Lubbock, TX Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Cap next to single-family lots
- 0.5 footcandles at lot line
- Cap next to street/alley
- 2.5 footcandles
- Shielding trigger
- Required over 1,500 lumens
- Correction window for glare nuisance
- 180 days after written notice
- Maximum fine
- $2,000.00 per day of violation
Summary
Lubbock caps how much outdoor light a property can throw onto its neighbors, setting maximum vertical illuminance at the lot line by the zoning of the adjacent lot, from 0.5 footcandles next to single-family homes up to 2.5 footcandles along streets and alleys.
Vertical illuminance. The maximum allowable vertical illuminance at a lot line is based on the zoning of the adjacent lot, as specified in Table 39.03.029-2, Maximum Vertical Illuminance at Lot Lines. ... RE, SF-1, SF-2, or MDR district 0.5 footcandles / HDR district 1.0 footcandles / NC, AC, OF, LI, GI district 2.0 footcandles / MU-1, MU-2, MU-3, and MU-5, and any other district 2.5 footcandles / Street or Alley 2.5 footcandles. Measurement is measured in footcandles: At the lot line; Five feet above the ground; and With the light meter facing towards the adjacent lot, street, or alley.
Full Breakdown
The Unified Development Code's outdoor lighting standards set hard numeric ceilings on light trespass rather than leaving it to a nuisance complaint. Under UDC § 39.03.029(e), the maximum allowable vertical illuminance at a lot line depends on the zoning of the adjacent lot: 0.5 footcandles next to RE, SF-1, SF-2, or MDR (residential) districts, 1.0 footcandles next to an HDR district, 2.0 footcandles next to NC, AC, OF, LI, or GI districts, and 2.5 footcandles next to MU-1, MU-2, MU-3, MU-5, or any other district, or facing a street or alley.
Measurement is standardized: readings are taken at the lot line, five feet above the ground, with the light meter facing toward the adjacent lot, street, or alley (§ 39.03.029(e)(2)). The same section requires shielding of bright fixtures: any luminaire with an initial lamp output over 1,500 lumens must be fully shielded (§ 39.03.029(c)), and freestanding fixtures without full shielding are capped at 15 feet in height versus 30 feet for fully shielded fixtures (§ 39.03.029(a)(2)). New developments must submit an Outdoor Lighting Plan demonstrating compliance as part of their Site Development Plan review (§ 39.03.029(i)).
Fixtures lawfully installed before the UDC's effective date are treated as nonconforming, but the Director of Code Enforcement can declare an existing glaring luminaire a public nuisance if it exceeds the vertical illuminance cap at the lot line, and the owner then has 180 days from written notice to bring it into compliance (§ 39.03.029(j)(2)).
Violations & Fines
A property that keeps a glaring fixture past the 180-day correction window after written notice, or that installs new lighting exceeding the vertical illuminance table, is enforced under the UDC's general violations article: any person, landowner, or occupant who violates the UDC is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $2,000.00, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense (§ 39.09.004(b)(1)). The Director of Code Enforcement can also file suit to abate the condition directly (§ 39.09.004(b)(2)).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can spill onto my neighbor's yard in Lubbock?
What happens if my existing light exceeds the limit?
Do bright fixtures need shields?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lubbock
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Lubbock to another location·View the Texas outdoor lighting overview
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