Plano, TX Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Security lighting category
- "Class II lighting" (§6-466)
- Required shielding
- fully shielded for LPS/HPS/metal halide/LED (Table 3)
- Mercury vapor lamps
- prohibited outright for Class II (Table 3)
- Aiming limit
- beam can't hit a viewer's eye at property line (§6-474(f))
- Operating hours
- permitted anytime (§6-474(i))
Summary
Plano treats outdoor security lighting as "Class II" lighting under Sec. 6-466, and Table 3 in Sec. 6-469(a)(1) requires those fixtures, LPS, HPS, metal halide, and LED lamps alike, to be fully shielded, while Sec. 6-474(f) bars aiming a floodlight so its beam hits a viewer's eye at the property line.
Class II lighting means lighting used outdoors where color rendition is not important, including, but not limited to, illumination for walkways, roadways, equipment yards, parking areas, and outdoor security. ... Table 3: Shielding Requirements — Low pressure sodium (LPS): Fully shielded; High pressure sodium (HPS): Fully shielded; Metal halide: Fully shielded; Mercury vapor: Prohibited; Light emitting diode (LED): Fully shielded (Class II Lighting-Color Rendition Not Important column). ... (f)Luminaires which are directed toward a viewer shall be aimed in such a manner that the viewer's eye, at least five (5) feet above grade at or beyond the property line, shall not be exposed to fixture luminance within the floodlight beam of the luminaire.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 153).
Full Breakdown
Plano splits outdoor fixtures into two classes, and security lighting falls squarely in the stricter one. Sec. " Table 3 (Shielding Requirements) in Sec. 6-469(a)(1) sets the Class II column at "Fully shielded" for low pressure sodium, high pressure sodium, metal halide, and LED lamps, and "Prohibited" outright for mercury vapor, tighter than the Class I column, which permits partial shielding for some incandescent fixtures. Only very low-output sources, 50 watts and under, or low-intensity neon/krypton/argon tubes, may go unshielded under either class. Beyond fixture type, Sec.
" That's an aiming rule independent of the shielding table, even a properly shielded fixture can't be pointed so its beam hits a passerby's eyes at the lot line. In exchange for the tighter shielding standard, Class II lighting gets an operating perk: Sec. cutoff.
Violations & Fines
An unshielded or improperly aimed security light that exceeds Table 3's Class II shielding standard or the Sec. 6-474(f) aiming rule is presumed a light nuisance under Sec. 6-469(a), exposing the owner to the Sec. 6-468 offense and a Sec. 6-477 fine up to $2,000 for a first violation, with minimum fines of $500 and $1,000 for repeat convictions within three years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my home security floodlight need a shield in Plano?
Can I use a mercury vapor security light?
Can I run my security lights all night?
Can I aim a floodlight at my property line to light up the street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plano
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Plano to another location·View the Texas outdoor lighting overview
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