North Las Vegas, NV Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- NLVMC § 17.24.080, Exterior Lighting
- Public-street spillover cap
- 1.0 footcandle at street centerline
- Residential property-line cap
- 0.5 footcandle at property line
- Shielding required
- Full-cutoff, no light above horizontal plane
- Lighting plan required for
- Multi-family, commercial, industrial, mixed-use
- Prohibited lamp type
- Fluorescent/mercury-vapor blue-white lighting banned
Summary
North Las Vegas caps exterior lighting under NLVMC § 17.24.080. Light spilling onto a public street can't exceed one footcandle at the street centerline, light at an adjacent residential property line is capped at one-half footcandle, and fixtures need full-cutoff shielding so no light projects above the horizontal plane.
b.Any light or combination of lights that cause light on a public street, other than lights specifically intended for that purpose, shall not exceed one footcandle (meter reading) as measured from the centerline of the street.c.Light shall not exceed one-half foot candles at the property line of any adjacent residential property. ... f.Lighting shall be of a level sufficient to provide for security and safety and shall be of a type, and installed in such a manner that it does not cause glare or light spillover of more than 0.5 footcandles on abutting residences.2.Light Shielding.a.Lighting shall be arranged so as to deflect light away from any adjoining residential zone or from the public streets.b.Exterior lighting shall have full-cutoff shielding so that light will not spill out onto surrounding properties or project above the horizontal plane.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 146 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
24's exterior-lighting standards rather than a stand-alone light-pollution ordinance, but the numeric limits do the same job. 1 sets hard footcandle ceilings: light thrown onto a public street may not exceed one footcandle measured from the street centerline, and light reaching the property line of any adjacent residential parcel is capped at one-half footcandle. 5 footcandles and bans the blue-white color cast of fluorescent and mercury-vapor lamps in favor of warmer lighting. 2 layers on shielding requirements: fixtures must be arranged to deflect light away from adjoining residential zones and public streets, and exterior lighting must use full-cutoff shielding so light doesn't spill onto neighboring properties or project above the horizontal plane.
Bare incandescent bulbs are barred from view of adjacent property or the public right-of-way, wall-mounted fixtures must aim downward, and upward-directed lighting is allowed only with shielding or baffling to soften the beam. B. C: lighting must come from an external, shielded source, and internally lit or flashing/moving-message entrance signs are prohibited outright.
Violations & Fines
The code doesn't list a stand-alone light-pollution fine schedule; a fixture that blows past the footcandle caps or lacks full-cutoff shielding is a zoning/development-standards violation, enforced the same way as other Chapter 17.24 design-standard breaches: through code enforcement notice and correction, with the City able to withhold or condition a building permit until the required photometric plan demonstrates compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can outdoor lighting be at my property line in North Las Vegas?
Do commercial developments need a lighting plan?
Are internally lit entrance signs allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Las Vegas
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