Peoria, IL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Chapter 8.5, Outdoor Site Lighting, governs every fixture that illuminates a site in Peoria, and Section 8.5.2.D targets light trespass directly: where necessary, house-side shields are required on fixtures adjacent to residential-zoned property to prevent glare, light spill or trespass. Section 8.5.3.E, Excessive Illumination, backs that up with a hard number: lighting that unnecessarily illuminates and substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of another property is prohibited outright, and off-street parking-area lighting specifically may not exceed one-half foot-candle measured at the lot line at the time of installation. Fixtures must also be down-lit away from residential properties and public streets so they do not create a nuisance, and lighting cannot be oriented to direct glare toward streets in a way that could distract drivers.

The design standards in 8.5.2 add mechanical requirements: all fixtures must be cutoff fixtures meeting Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) standards, mounted horizontal to the ground to minimize spillage into the night sky, and tilt arms are prohibited. Parking-area fixtures top out at 45 feet in height including the base, while fixtures in non-vehicular pedestrian areas are capped at 15 feet. Low-pressure sodium, mercury vapor light sources, and searchlights or other high-intensity narrow-beam fixtures cannot be used where the direct light is visible from adjacent public areas or properties, with a narrow exception for accent lighting under 8.5.3.B. Canopy lighting over fuel sales or ATM installations is separately capped at 25 foot-candles under the canopy, and parking lots must meet a 5:1 average-to-minimum uniformity ratio over 95 percent of the surface.

Any lighting plan submitted with a permit application must show the location and height of every fixture and pole, plus a cut-sheet for each fixture type, per 8.5.4. This lighting chapter was adopted by Ord. No. 17803 on October 27, 2020.