Salem, OR Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Measurement point
- 5 ft high, 5 ft outside the lot line
- Max illumination if unshielded
- 5 foot-candles
- Alternative compliance
- Fully shielded fixture, no candle-power cap
- Public right-of-way
- Glare onto ROW also prohibited
- Max civil penalty
- $2,000 per day
Summary
Salem bans exterior lighting that shines or reflects onto a neighbor's property or casts glare into the public right-of-way. SRC 800.060 requires every exterior light fixture to be shielded from direct view, or dimmed to no more than five foot-candles, when measured from five feet outside the property line at a height of five feet.
(a)Exterior lighting shall not shine or reflect onto adjacent properties, or cast glare onto the public right-of-way.(b)Exterior light fixtures shall be located and designed so that the light source, when viewed at a height of five feet above the ground at a distance of five feet outside the boundary of the lot, shall be either:(1)Completely shielded from direct view; or(2)No greater than five foot-candles in illumination.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
060 is Salem's general light-trespass standard and applies citywide as part of chapter 800's general development standards, alongside fence, setback, and solid waste rules. Subsection (a) states the basic prohibition in plain terms: exterior lighting cannot shine or reflect onto adjacent properties, and it cannot cast glare onto the public right-of-way. Subsection (b) turns that prohibition into a measurable test: staff evaluate a light source from a standard vantage point, five feet above the ground and five feet outside the lot's boundary, and the fixture passes only if it is either completely shielded from direct view at that point or produces no more than five foot-candles of illumination there.
Because the rule is written as a location-based light-trespass standard rather than a wattage or fixture-type limit, a property owner has two paths to compliance: use a fully shielded, downward-directed fixture, commonly called a full cutoff or dark-sky fixture, or position and aim any less-shielded fixture so its measured output at the property line stays under the five foot-candle threshold. 060.
Violations & Fines
A lighting installation that exceeds five foot-candles at the property line, or that is unshielded and shines directly onto a neighboring lot, is a code violation subject to Salem's chapter 20J enforcement process. The enforcement officer typically issues an order allowing at least ten business days to re-aim, shield, or replace the offending fixture, with a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per day available for violations that are knowing, intentional, or repeated after notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can my exterior lights be near my property line in Salem?
Does Salem regulate light shining onto my neighbor's yard?
What counts as a shielded fixture under Salem's lighting rule?
When does my project have to show a lighting plan for SRC 800.060?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salem
Compare Salem to another location·View the Oregon outdoor lighting overview
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