Spotsylvania County, VA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Footcandle cap
- 0.5 footcandles at residential property line
- Direct illumination
- Prohibited onto adjacent residential lots/roads
- Adjacent parking hours
- Lit only during business hours, plus security
- Non-adjacent parking
- Extra 30 min before/after business hours allowed
- Section
- Sec. 23-5.12.4(2)-(3)
Summary
Spotsylvania County caps nonresidential outdoor lighting at 0.5 footcandles measured at the property line wherever it borders residential property, under Sec. 23-5.12.4(2) of the zoning ordinance. Fixtures must also be screened or shielded so neighboring residential lots and roads are never directly illuminated, and adjoining parking areas can only stay lit during business hours.
(2)All outdoor lighting for nonresidential property or uses adjacent to residential property or uses shall be designed and located such that the maximum illumination, measured in footcandles at the property line shall not exceed five-tenths (0.5) footcandles.(3)All lighting from nonresidential uses shall be located, screened or shielded so that adjacent residential lots and adjacent roads are not directly illuminated.(4)When adjacent to or abutting residential property or uses, nonresidential parking areas shall not be lighted at any time other than during the same hours that the use to which the parking is appurtenant is open for business, except for necessary security lighting.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 4 of the outdoor lighting division sets the county's light-trespass standards for nonresidential property adjacent to residential uses. 5) of a footcandle, measured at ground level. Subsection (3) separately requires that all lighting from nonresidential uses be located, screened or shielded so that adjacent residential lots and adjacent roads are never directly illuminated, addressing glare and spillover beyond the raw footcandle number. The same section also times parking-lot lighting: under subsection (4), a nonresidential parking area adjacent to or abutting residential property or uses cannot be lit at any time other than the hours the served business is open, apart from necessary security lighting, while subsection (5) allows parking areas not adjacent to homes an extra thirty minutes before opening and after closing.
These limits sit within the same Division 12 that requires full cutoff or fully shielded luminaires under subsection (1) and exempts categories like construction, holiday and security lighting under Sec. 3. 5-footcandle and no-direct-illumination standards.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 0.5-footcandle limit or directly illuminating a neighboring residential lot is enforced as a zoning violation under Article 9. The zoning administrator notifies the property owner in writing and allows seven calendar days to correct the lighting before a warrant is sworn out; a first conviction under Sec. 23-9.1.2 draws a misdemeanor fine of $10 to $1,000, with repeated ten-day periods of noncompliance after conviction fined separately up to $1,500 each.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can nonresidential lighting be at the edge of a residential lot?
Can a store keep its parking lot lit all night next to houses?
What if a neighbor's business light shines directly into my yard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spotsylvania County
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