Tampa, FL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Brightness ceiling
- 1 foot-candle at 4 feet from sign
- Applies to
- All illuminated signs, including neon
- Separate ban
- Unshielded glare-producing devices
- Variance
- None for glare-producing prohibited signs
- Enforcement
- Neighborhood improvement manager; owner pays removal
Summary
Every illuminated sign in Tampa, from a lit storefront to a strip-mall marquee, is capped at one foot-candle of illumination measured four feet from the sign under Sec. 27-289.4(a). Separately, any sign with unshielded lighting that creates glare or is a hazard to motorists or neighbors is an outright prohibited sign under Sec. 27-289.7.
(a)Illuminated signs, including neon signs, shall not produce more than one (1) footcandle of illumination four (4) feet from the sign, when measured from the base of such sign. ... Has unshielded illuminated devices that produce glare or are a hazard or nuisance to motorists or occupants of adjacent properties ... Due to any lighting or control mechanism, causes radio, television or other communication interference ... (c)...neither the city council nor any board of the city may grant a variance allowing the erection of any of the prohibited signs expressly enumerated in this section 27-289.7.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 148).
Full Breakdown
Tampa regulates sign-generated light pollution through two overlapping Sign Code provisions. Sec. ' That standard applies regardless of zoning district or sign type, covering freestanding, building, projecting, and window signage whenever a sign is lit from within or aimed with external floodlighting. Separately, the enumerated table of prohibited sign types in Sec. ' Because Sec. 7(c) forecloses any variance for signs on that prohibited list, a glare complaint against an unshielded sign fixture cannot be resolved by seeking board approval, the fixture has to be shielded or removed.
Together, the two sections give a Tampa sign owner both a numeric brightness cap measured at the sign itself and a separate, unconditional ban on fixtures that spill unshielded glare onto neighboring properties or the traveling public.
Violations & Fines
A sign exceeding one foot-candle at four feet under Sec. 27-289.4(a), or fitted with unshielded lighting that glares onto neighbors or motorists under Sec. 27-289.7(b), is a Sign Code violation with no variance available for the latter. Penalties run through Sec. 27-289.14: City Code § 1-6 fines, a triple-permit fee, and removal by the neighborhood improvement manager at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a brightness limit for lit signs in Tampa?
Can my neighbor's business sign shine glare onto my property?
What if a sign's lighting interferes with my TV or radio reception?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tampa
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Tampa to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.