In unincorporated Manatee County, outdoor lighting fixtures must have full oblique shielding so a property's lights do not directly illuminate a neighbor. Total spillover onto another property with a lighting-protected area may not exceed 0.2 foot-candles (1.5 foot-candles onto street rights-of-way).
Manatee County Land Development Code Section 806 (Outdoor Lighting) controls glare and light trespass onto neighboring property. Under Section 806.4, unless exempted, all outdoor lighting fixtures must have full oblique shielding so a property's light sources do not directly illuminate another property that has an outdoor lighting protected area. Lights must not impair drivers' vision. The total spillover illumination from all of a property's outdoor lighting may not illuminate another property in excess of 0.2 foot-candles on property with outdoor lighting protected areas (excluding street rights-of-way), and 1.5 foot-candles on street rights-of-way. Fixture height and shielding are also regulated. The rules protect the visually calm residential character of neighborhoods. Cities within the county set their own lighting standards.
Lighting that spills more than 0.2 foot-candles onto a neighboring protected property, or unshielded fixtures glaring onto adjacent property, violates Section 806 and is subject to code enforcement correction.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Manatee County, FL
Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged in Manatee County for residents' own yard and food waste. No county permit is needed. Piles must be maintained ...
Manatee County, FL
Manatee County has no countywide ban on residential artificial turf; the Land Development Code governs landscaping in development. Synthetic turf typically c...
Manatee County, FL
Manatee County's Land Development Code (Chapter 7) requires native and drought-tolerant plantings in development landscaping. Florida law (FS 373.185) also p...
Manatee County, FL
Rain barrels and cisterns for landscape irrigation are legal and encouraged in Manatee County; SWFWMD and county utilities promote them for conservation. No ...
Manatee County, FL
Manatee County follows Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) restrictions. Under the current Modified Phase III shortage, lawn watering is lim...
Manatee County, FL
Weeds, grass, and undergrowth over 16 inches are a nuisance in unincorporated Manatee County under the Community Improvement / abandoned property provisions....
See how Palmetto's light trespass rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.