Miramar, FL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Spillover cap at property line
- 0.5 footcandles, measured vertically
- Minimum parking-lot illumination
- 1.0 footcandle average (§805.3)
- Uniformity ratio ceiling
- 12 to 1 max-to-min
- Compliance plan
- certified photometric plan, §805.2
- Governing section
- LDC §805.4, Maximum Illumination
Summary
Miramar's Land Development Code sets a hard ceiling on light crossing a property line: fixtures for parking areas, buildings and signs must be shaded or screened so spillover measured vertically at the property line never tops 0.5 footcandles, and none of that light may fall directly on an adjoining lot, structure or right-of-way.
All lighting for parking areas, buildings and signs shall be located, screened, or shielded so that adjacent property, structures, and rights-of-way are not directly illuminated. All lighting for parking areas, buildings and signs shall either be shaded or screened in a manner that will limit spillover of lighting onto adjacent property and public rights-of-way. Spillover shall not exceed 0.5 footcandles measured vertically along the property line at the perimeter of the property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 104 | Land Development Code: Supplement 46).
Full Breakdown
4 of the Land Development Code, titled Maximum Illumination, requires that all lighting for parking areas, buildings and signs be located, screened, or shielded so that adjacent property, structures and rights-of-way are not directly illuminated. 5 footcandles, measured vertically along the property line at the perimeter of the property. 5 footcandle and a maximum-to-minimum uniformity ratio no worse than 12 to 1, so a site must be bright enough for safety on its own ground while staying dark at the fence line. 5-footcandle trespass limit is checked on paper before a permit issues, not left to a neighbor's complaint after the fact.
Community Development Department staff confirm the certified plan meets the perimeter cap during final plan review, and revisions are required before the building permit can be issued.
Violations & Fines
A photometric plan showing more than 0.5 footcandles at the property line fails Section 805.2 review and the building permit is withheld until the design is revised. A fixture that trespasses light after occupancy is enforced as a code violation under Miramar Code of Ordinances Section 1-13: up to a $500 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, and each day the spillover continues is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can spill onto my neighbor's yard from a Miramar business?
Does Miramar require a lighting plan before I build a shopping center?
Can a business light its parking lot as bright as it wants?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miramar
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miramar to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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