Skokie, IL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass (2026)

Light trespass is illumination from one property that falls onto another where it is unwanted. Skokie addresses light trespass primarily through the zoning code's commercial lighting standards. Site plan review for new commercial and multi-family development reviews proposed fixtures, their shielding, and predicted illuminance at adjacent residential property lines, typically applying a 0.5 foot-candle maximum at the boundary. Existing commercial properties with problematic lighting may be required to add shielding, reaim fixtures, or replace non-compliant fixtures when complaints are substantiated. Residential-to-residential light trespass is not specifically quantified in the code but excessive lighting creating a nuisance (such as a floodlight shining directly into neighbors' windows) may be addressed under property maintenance and nuisance provisions. Enforcement typically begins with a notice asking the owner to shield or redirect the offending fixture. Complaints should include the fixture location, times the problem is worst, and ideally photographs showing the trespass. Some disputes between neighbors may be better resolved through direct conversation before Village intervention.