Bristol County cities prohibit outdoor lighting that trespasses onto neighboring properties. Typical limit: 0.5 to 1.0 foot-candles at the residential property line. Enforcement is complaint-driven.
Bristol County municipal codes prohibit light trespass — artificial illumination that crosses property lines and affects neighboring parcels. Residential property-line light levels typically cannot exceed 0.5 to 1.0 foot-candles. Security lights must be aimed and shielded to illuminate only the owner's property. Floodlights directed at neighboring homes are prohibited. String lights and decorative lighting must not create glare for neighbors or traffic. Holiday lighting (roughly Thanksgiving through mid-January) typically has temporary exemptions in Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton. Commercial properties face stricter limits with measurable lumen caps at property boundaries. Enforcement is complaint-driven through code enforcement; warning letters precede fines. Nuisance claims under MGL c. 214 §3 also available.
Light trespass complaint: warning and 30-day correction. Non-compliance: $100 to $300 per violation. Repeated complaints: escalating fines. Commercial: up to $1,000 per day.
Taunton, MA
Taunton adopted a comprehensive noise ordinance (Chapter 315) on November 2, 2021, prohibiting preventable and unnecessary noise. Noise that annoys or distur...
Taunton, MA
Taunton restricts construction, demolition, alteration, and repair of buildings to 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM under Chapter 315. Work outside these hours requires a ...
Taunton, MA
Taunton's noise ordinance Chapter 315 prohibits keeping any animal or bird that causes frequent or long-continued sounds plainly audible within a noise-sensi...
Taunton, MA
Taunton enforces street parking regulations under its traffic ordinances. Parking lot landscaping is required for lots of 10+ spaces under the zoning code. T...
Taunton, MA
Taunton regulates commercial vehicle parking through traffic and zoning ordinances. Commercial vehicles must comply with general parking rules and zoning dis...
Taunton, MA
Taunton's zoning ordinance Chapter 440 regulates off-street parking and driveways. Rear yard parking areas must be at least 5 feet from adjoining property li...
See how Taunton's light trespass rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.