Vanderburgh County, IN Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 17.24.040(D)
- Applies to
- Nonresidential parking lots, unincorporated county
- Standard
- Shaded, no glare onto neighbors
- Enforcing agency
- Area Plan Commission
- First violation fine
- Up to $500
Summary
Vanderburgh County requires that lighting for off-street parking areas outside residential districts be shaded and positioned so it does not glare onto neighboring properties or into the street. Section 17.24.040(D) is the county zoning code's core outdoor-lighting standard, reviewed alongside paving and drainage when a nonresidential parking lot is permitted.
D. Lighting. Lighting must be shaded and shall be located so that it does not cause glare onto adjacent properties or interfere with street traffic.
Full Breakdown
24, 'Off-Street Parking and Loading,' sets the physical standards for every parking area serving a nonresidential use in unincorporated Vanderburgh County, and its final subsection addresses light trespass directly. ' The requirement sits alongside the chapter's paving, drainage, and buffer standards, meaning a parking lot lighting plan is reviewed together with surfacing, landscaping, and setbacks when the Area Plan Commission processes the Improvement Location Permit for the lot. 050 layers additional restrictions, including grass-maintained yards and five-foot minimum side and rear setbacks, onto nonresidential parking built in or next to residential zoning.
220(E) requires sign lighting to be shielded so it does not 'trespass onto any adjoining property or a public street or highway,' confirming the same anti-glare policy runs through both the development standards and the sign code. Because this provision is part of Title 17 zoning, it applies only to unincorporated Vanderburgh County; Evansville and Darmstadt administer their own lighting standards even though the same Area Plan Commission staffs the review.
Violations & Fines
Unshaded parking-lot lighting that glares onto a neighboring property is enforced as a Title 17 zoning violation. The Area Plan Commission issues a Notice of Ordinance Violation under Section 1.14.040, and Section 17.36.150 sets a civil penalty of up to $500 for a first offense, rising to $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, and $7,500 for further violations within 12 months. Fines are payable to the County Treasurer within 30 days, and the Commission may withhold new Improvement Location Permits on the property until the fixtures are corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vanderburgh County limit how bright parking lot lights can be?
Who enforces glare complaints from a neighboring business's parking lot?
Does this lighting rule apply to a house next door in the city of Evansville?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vanderburgh County
Compare Vanderburgh County to another location·View the Indiana outdoor lighting overview
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