Troy, NY Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Parcels in the Hoosick Street Overlay Zone District only
- Residential edge
- No direct light source visible at the property line
- Spill figure
- 0.2 footcandle for sign, display and building lighting
- Reviewing body
- Troy Planning Board, during site plan review
- Holiday exemption
- November, December and January, if no dangerous glare
- Penalty
- Fine up to $250 or 15 days in jail, or both
Summary
In the City of Troy, New York, exterior lights and illuminated signs in the Hoosick Street Overlay Zone District must be aimed to prevent objectionable light trespass and glare across property lines. Next to residential property, no direct light source can be visible at the property line at ground level or above. Lighting types the section does not cover need Planning Board findings that spill stays within 0.2 footcandle.
(d) All exterior lights and illuminated signs shall be designed, located, installed and directed in such a manner as to prevent objectionable light trespass and glare across the property lines and/or disability glare at any location on or off the property. ... (g) Adjacent to residential property, no direct light source shall be visible at the property line at ground level or above. ... (k) Proposed lighting installations that are not covered in this section may be approved if the Planning Board finds that they are designed to minimize glare, do not direct light beyond the boundaries in excess of 0.2 footcandle of the area being illuminated or onto adjacent properties or streets, and do not result in excessive lighting levels.
Full Breakdown
Troy's light trespass standard sits in the Hoosick Street Overlay Zone District rules, § 285-66.4(C)(5), and covers parcels partially or wholly inside that overlay in the City of Troy, New York. The general duty is in Subsection (d): every exterior light and illuminated sign must be designed, located, installed and directed so that it prevents objectionable light trespass, glare across the property lines and disability glare at any location on or off the property. The definitions in § 285-66.3 describe light trespass as light from an artificial source that is intruding into an area where it is not wanted or does not belong, and a footcandle as a unit equal to one lumen per square foot.
The residential edge gets a harder line. Subsection (g) says that adjacent to residential property, no direct light source shall be visible at the property line at ground level or above. Commercial properties abutting a residential use also face a separate screening duty under Subsection C(6)(a): buffering at least eight feet in depth, including a five-foot-high grassed berm and a fence.
Numeric spill limits appear in two places. Subsection (e) requires externally lit signs, display, building and aesthetic lighting to be shielded against direct glare and light trespass in excess of 0.2 footcandle, and contained to the target area as far as physically possible. Subsection (k) lets the Planning Board approve lighting installations the section does not cover, but only after finding that they minimize glare, do not direct light beyond the boundaries in excess of 0.2 footcandle of the area being illuminated or onto adjacent properties or streets, and do not result in excessive lighting levels. Internally lit signs are acceptable under Subsection (f) provided they meet the Sign Ordinance. Holiday lighting in November, December and January and street tree lighting all year are exempt under Subsection (l), but only if they do not create dangerous glare on adjacent streets or properties. Review happens at the Troy Planning Board as part of site plan review.
Violations & Fines
Under § 285-44, anyone who violates a provision of Chapter 285 is guilty of a violation as defined in § 10 of the New York Penal Law and faces a fine of not more than $250 or 15 days in jail, or both. Under § 285-21 a neighbor can file a written complaint with the Director of Code Enforcement, who records it and immediately investigates and reports on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much light can spill onto my neighbor's lot in the overlay?
Who do I contact about a light shining onto my property in Troy?
Does the light trespass rule apply to every property in Troy, New York?
Are illuminated signs covered by the glare rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Troy
New York rules heatmap·Compare Troy to another location·View the New York outdoor lighting overview
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