Pontiac, MI Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Pontiac's light trespass standard sits in Zoning Ordinance § 4.502.B and .C, part of Chapter 5, Exterior Lighting. Intensity is measured on the vertical plane at the property or right-of-way boundary, five feet above grade, under § 4.502.G. At any property line other than a street right-of-way, the ceiling is 0.5 footcandles under § 4.502.B.3. At a street right-of-way line, the limit rises to one footcandle, or the average intensity generated by public street lighting at that boundary up to a cap of five footcandles, whichever is greater, under § 4.502.B.2.

Section 4.502.C adds a functional test on top of the numbers: exterior lighting must be designed, located and maintained so it causes no off-site glare on neighboring properties or rights-of-way, and the light-emitting element of any fixture may not be directly visible from a neighboring property, which the ordinance identifies as the primary cause of glare. Inside the site itself, general intensity is capped at 10 footcandles, rising to 20 footcandles only in intensive-use areas such as under a gas station canopy or around an ATM, under § 4.502.B.1.

Because these limits attach to the site plan, the building official checks them when issuing the zoning compliance permit required under § 6.701, and a fixture that later exceeds the property-line reading is enforced the same way as any other zoning violation.