Tinley Park, IL Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 116.30, Auto Court and Motel chapter
- Applies to
- Auto courts and motels only
- Requirement
- Shade lights so none shines on adjacent premises
- Enforcement
- Health Officer inspections under § 116.32
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 6 months jail, § 116.99
- License link
- Violation can trigger license revocation, § 116.26
Summary
Tinley Park's Village Code requires every auto court and motel to keep public areas lit at night, but the fixtures must be shaded or otherwise regulated so no light shines onto neighboring property. The rule sits in the Auto Court and Motel licensing chapter, enforced through the same inspection and penalty scheme that covers the rest of that business's operating license.
Any area or premises of any auto court or motel open to be used by the public or by any person staying in or being accommodated in the court or motel shall be kept adequately lighted at night time. However, such lights must be so shaded or otherwise regulated as to prevent them from shining upon any adjacent premises.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-40: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2026-O-007, passed 2-17-2026, Resolution 2018-R-077, passed 10-2-18, and State legislation current through 2010 Pamphlet No. 7).
Full Breakdown
Tinley Park regulates outdoor light spillover only inside its Auto Court and Motel chapter of the Village Code, Chapter 116. 30 requires that every area of an auto court or motel open to guests or the public stay lit at night, then immediately qualifies that duty: the fixtures must be shaded or otherwise regulated to prevent them from shining onto any adjacent premises. The village treats this as part of the operating license package for the business, not a standalone dark-sky ordinance. 25, filed with the Village Clerk along with the applicant's name, address and the maximum number of persons and vehicles the property is built to accommodate.
32 puts the Health Officer in charge of inspecting or causing inspection of each auto court or motel to confirm the whole subchapter, lighting included, is being followed. Because the shading requirement lives inside a single-purpose licensing chapter, it does not reach apartment complexes, single-family yards, parking lots or commercial signage; those uses have no comparable glare or spillover standard elsewhere in the code. A motel or auto court that lets its night lighting spill onto the neighboring lot is out of compliance with its license the same day the light is left unshaded, regardless of whether anyone files a complaint.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 116.30, like any other Chapter 116 auto court and motel provision, carries the penalty fixed in § 116.99: a fine of up to $500 per offense, or a jail term of up to six months, with a separate offense deemed committed for each day the unshaded lights continue to shine onto adjacent property. The Village Board can also revoke the underlying auto court or motel license under § 116.26 for any subchapter violation, ending the business's ability to operate at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tinley Park have a general outdoor lighting or glare ordinance?
Who investigates a complaint that a motel's lights are shining onto a neighbor's yard?
What can happen to a motel that ignores the shading requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tinley Park
Compare Tinley Park to another location·View the Illinois outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Light Trespass & Shielding in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle light trespass & shielding.