Scranton, PA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone 1 lot-line cap
- 0.10 foot-candles at 3 ft height
- Zone 2 lot-line cap
- 0.20 foot-candles at 3 ft height
- Max civil judgment
- $500 per day, per § 445-77
- Enforcing official
- Scranton Zoning Officer
- Appeal body
- Zoning Hearing Board
Summary
Scranton's zoning code requires every outdoor light fixture to be shielded and aimed so glare stops at the property line. Residential zones cap spillover at just 0.10 foot-candles measured at the lot line, and commercial zones at 0.20, both checked three feet above grade.
All uses shall direct, deflect, and shield lights and control the intensity of lights and illuminated signs to avoid nuisances and to prevent glare onto other properties and streets. Lights shall not shine directly into the normal line of sight of motorists. ... All outdoor lighting shall be designed, installed, located, and maintained so that nuisance glare onto adjacent lots or streets shall be minimized and all direct illumination kept within the boundaries of the lot.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4719898; v25 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 445-25 of the zoning ordinance treats stray light as a nuisance to be engineered out at the source. Subsection A requires every use to direct, deflect and shield lights and illuminated signs so they do not glare onto neighboring properties or streets, and bars fixtures from shining into a motorist's normal line of sight; it also requires all direct illumination to stay within the lot's own boundaries, and confines canopy lighting (gas stations, drive-throughs) to internal illumination only. Subsection B sets numeric ceilings by lighting zone.
10 horizontal and vertical foot-candles measured three feet above ground, on-site illumination cannot exceed 3 foot-candles, and average on-site illumination is capped at 1 foot-candle, with no more than 5% of a fixture's lumens escaping at 90 degrees or more from straight down. 5 average, and 10% high-angle spillage. A property owner disturbed by a neighbor's or business's lighting can file a complaint with the Zoning Officer, who investigates under the general zoning enforcement procedure in Article XI.
Violations & Fines
The Zoning Officer issues a written enforcement notice describing the specific lighting deficiency and a compliance deadline; the recipient can appeal to the Zoning Hearing Board. An unresolved violation goes to a Magisterial District Judge for a civil judgment of up to $500 plus court costs and the City's attorney fees, and each day the glare continues is a separate violation under § 445-77.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my neighbor's security light shine directly into my yard?
How bright can a business's parking lot lighting be at my property line?
Who do I complain to about a neighbor's floodlight in Scranton?
Are LED lights treated differently under Scranton's code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scranton
Compare Scranton to another location·View the Pennsylvania outdoor lighting overview
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