Lynchburg, VA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Sec. 5 footcandles at any residential property line, measured both horizontally and vertically at the line itself. That threshold works together with the site-plan lighting documentation required under Sec. 5, which obligates an applicant to submit a lighting design showing an average maintained point-by-point analysis of the site and the footcandle readings at every property line specifically for light trespass analysis, along with the type, lumen output, mounting height, and distance to the nearest property line for every fixture. Sec. 4(c) fixes how that measurement has to be taken: metering equipment must read in footcandles, the sensor sits at ground level for horizontal readings and five feet above ground for vertical readings, and only qualified personnel may take the reading after the photocell has been exposed long enough to stabilize.

A property can exceed the general fixture-height limits in Sec. 3(a) only by using the master lighting plan option in Sec. 5-footcandle threshold. Before a certificate of occupancy issues, Sec. 4(c)(3) requires the person installing the fixtures to document compliance with the entire lighting chapter, including the spillover limit, and the site plan reviewer checks that documentation against the lighting plan approved earlier in the process.