Old Bridge, NJ Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Under § 250-43J of the Land Development Ordinance, Old Bridge Township treats outdoor lighting as a zoning performance standard that applies to every use in every district. Two separate numeric ceilings apply at the property line: ambient illumination measured on the ground cannot exceed 0.5 footcandle beyond the lot line, and any direct or sky-reflected glare from the source itself is capped at one-half footcandle measured at the boundary of the lot where the fixture sits. Spotlights, floodlights or any concentrated beam must be directed so the beam itself never extends past the property line, and fixtures used to wash a sign or building face cannot throw light beyond the vertical plane of that sign or wall, or reflect onto an adjoining property, public street or driveway.

The Township carves out one narrow exception: the footcandle ceiling does not apply to fixtures used solely to light entrances, exits or driveways leading to a parking lot. Because § 250-43 sits inside Chapter 250, compliance is checked at site plan and zoning permit review by the Department of Community Development's Zoning Officer, and a photometric plan showing footcandle readings at the property line is the usual way an applicant demonstrates the standard is met before a certificate of occupancy issues.