Roseville, MN Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Section 1011.11(e) of the Roseville City Code sets the standards for on-site parking lot lighting for all uses. Section 1011.11 is titled Additional standards in all non-LDR or LMDR districts and sits in the chapter 1011 property performance standards. Fixtures must be of a downcast, cutoff type that conceals the light source from view and prevents glare, unless decorative and used for pedestrian safety. Energy-efficient lighting systems are required for all exterior lighting, and the minimum levels are measured at a height of five feet above the grade.

Open parking areas run from 0.4 to one footcandle for general parking, vehicle and pedestrian areas. Lights not reasonably required for security or business operations must be off between 10:00 p.m. and sunrise, or run on motion detectors that turn on only when there is activity nearby. Height is tied to the distance from homes: poles cannot exceed 12 feet within 50 feet of a residential property line, or 25 feet between 50 and 100 feet. Beyond 100 feet a pole or fixture can reach 40 feet only if the light source and its glare are completely screened by a building, berm or landscape material with a minimum opacity of 90 percent to eye level view of living spaces in homes within 300 feet.

Two other Roseville provisions reach spill and glare. Section 1011.12(b)(4)h says lighting for a private swimming pool or similar private recreational facility shall be so oriented so as not to cast light on adjacent properties. Section 1011.02(c)(6) requires any operation producing intense glare or heat to be performed within a completely enclosed building.