Queen Anne's County, MD Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

The trespass rule is in § 18:1-85C(2) and (3). Subsection C(2) requires all exterior lighting to be installed and maintained so as to confine direct light beams to the lighted property and away from nearby properties and the vision of passing motorists. Subsection C(3) sets the measurable limit: no exterior lighting can cause illumination in excess of 0.25 footcandle above background light levels, measured at grade at the property line of the site. The measurement point is the property line, at ground level, and the comparison is to the background light level, not to zero.

The section's stated purpose in subsection A is to regulate the spillover of light and glare on operators of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and land uses in the proximity of the light source. Safety considerations drive the rules for motor vehicles, and in other cases both the nuisance and hazard aspects of glare are regulated.

The rule backs up the height limits in subsection C(1): a luminaire's maximum height depends on whether it has a total cutoff of light at an angle of less than 90 degrees, a design the code describes as protection against excessive glare and light spilling over to neighboring properties. Subsection E adds that flickering or flashing lights may not be permitted, and that light sources or luminaires cannot sit within buffer yard areas except on pedestrian walkways.

Paperwork is part of enforcement. Subsection F requires an exterior lighting plan to be submitted to the County when an exterior light is installed or substantially modified, and whenever a zoning certificate is sought, so the County can determine whether the requirements are met and that adjoining property will not be adversely impacted. Outdoor public street lighting and the recreational uses exempted in subsection D are outside subsection C. The rules apply in unincorporated Queen Anne's County, including Kent Island; Centreville, Queenstown and the other towns have their own codes.