Orlando, FL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential boundary cap
- 0.5 footcandles (§63.405(a))
- Non-residential boundary cap
- 1.0 footcandle
- Security lighting
- must be cutoff fixtures
- Lighting plan approval
- required before install (§63.403)
- Single/two-family homes
- exempt from plan approval
- Non-res. dimming
- 50%+ within 1 hr of closing
- Variances
- reviewed by Planning Official (§63.407)
Summary
Orlando requires every outdoor light fixture, including security lighting, to be a cutoff fixture under City Code § 63.405(b)(1), and caps illumination at 0.5 footcandles at a property line bordering a residential use (1.0 footcandle elsewhere). Fixtures can't tilt toward neighbors, sag or convex lenses are banned, and floodlighting is prohibited outside limited industrial sites. Most commercial and multifamily projects also need City lighting-plan approval before installing fixtures.
(a)Illumination levels. Illumination levels may not exceed 0.5 footcandles at the property line where the neighboring property is a residential use or is zoned for a residential use. For all other uses, illumination levels may not exceed 1.0 footcandles at the property line. To avoid glare and light spilling onto neighboring properties, fixtures must be installed with shields and reflectors.(b)Light fixtures. All light fixtures must conform to the following regulations:1.All fixtures, including security lighting, must be cutoff fixtures.2.All fixtures must be incorporated into the building or site as an integrated design element through the use of common or complementary style, material, and color.3.Fixtures may not be tilted towards adjacent properties.4.Sag lenses, convex lenses, and drop lenses are prohibited.5.Floodlighting is prohibited except for non-retail industrial uses where the floodlight is internal to the site and cannot be seen from adjacent public rights-of-way and neighboring residential uses or zoning districts.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 92).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 63, Part 3 of the Land Development Code governs outdoor lighting citywide. 403 makes it 'unlawful and a violation of this part' to install or operate outdoor lighting without first getting a lighting-plan approval from the City permitting official, though single- and two-family homes, minor non-substantial work, historic-district properties, temporary uses under 61 days, and right-of-way work are exempt. 8. 0 footcandle elsewhere, and fixtures, explicitly including security lighting, must be cutoff type, installed with shields and reflectors, and never tilted toward a neighboring lot.
Sag, convex, and drop lenses are banned outright, and floodlighting is prohibited except for internal, non-retail industrial uses invisible from the street or nearby homes. Non-residential sites must also install time controls that dim outdoor lighting by at least 50% within an hour of closing (unless the business runs 24 hours) and light sensors that shut fixtures off once daylight reaches 85% of ground-level luminance. 407 lets the Planning Official grant variances from the quantitative standards case by case.
Violations & Fines
Installing or operating outdoor lighting, including security fixtures, without City lighting-plan approval is expressly declared 'unlawful and a violation of this part' under Section 63.403. The permitting official can deny or withhold approval until fixtures meet the cutoff, footcandle, and no-tilt standards of Section 63.405, and noncompliant lighting is subject to Orlando code enforcement action requiring correction or removal of the offending fixtures before final approval issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Orlando require security lights to be shielded?
Do I need a permit for outdoor security lighting at an Orlando business?
Can a business use floodlights for security in Orlando?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orlando
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Orlando to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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