Waco, TX Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential cap
- 0.5 footcandles at single/two/multi-family property line
- Non-residential cap
- 3.0 footcandles at neighboring non-residential line
- Light industrial cap
- 5.0 footcandles at neighboring light industrial line
- Measurement method
- Light meter held vertically at property line
- Applies to
- Brazos River Corridor (BRC) overlay district only
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 2023-431, June 6, 2023
Summary
In the Brazos River Corridor overlay, Section 28-809.1(c) caps how much light a commercial or industrial property can throw onto a neighbor's land, measured with a light meter held vertically at the property line: 0.5 footcandles for single-family, two-family, or multi-family residential neighbors, 3.0 footcandles for non-residential neighbors, and 5.0 footcandles for light industrial neighbors.
The limits of illumination on neighboring property from an establishment shall be by zoning of the neighborhood property. Maximum footcandle levels measured by holding a light meter in a vertical position at the neighboring property line shall not exceed standards specified by ordinance. The zoning standards are as follows:(1)Single-family and two-family residential - 0.5 footcandles.(2)Multiple-family residential - 0.5 footcandles.(3)Non-residential - 3.0 footcandles.(4)Light industrial - 5.0 footcandles.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
1(c) sets Waco's only codified light-trespass limits, and they apply solely within the Brazos River Corridor (BRC) overlay district established by Division 23 of the zoning chapter. 0 footcandles where the neighbor is light industrial. 0 footcandle minimum for walkways, jogging trails, and bikeways, so a BRC property has to stay above a floor for its own public areas while staying under the cap at its neighbor's line. Because the BRC is an overlay layered on top of Waco's base R, O, C, and M zoning under Section 28-798, these footcandle limits are additive to whatever illumination-adjacent standards the base district imposes elsewhere in Chapter 28. The lighting article was rewritten in its entirety by Ordinance No. 2023-431 on June 6, 2023, replacing the corridor's earlier lighting standards.
Violations & Fines
A property owner whose lighting exceeds the footcandle cap at a neighbor's line in the BRC overlay is out of compliance with Section 28-809.1(c); development services can require the fixture repositioned, shielded, or dimmed as a condition of site plan approval or before issuing a certificate of occupancy for new construction or substantial renovation. Because the standard is measured at the property line rather than at the source, a change in fixture angle, wattage, or shielding is typically enough to bring a site back into compliance without full relocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is light trespass measured in Waco's Brazos River Corridor?
What is the footcandle limit if my neighbor's lot is residential?
Does this footcandle limit apply outside the Brazos River Corridor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waco
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Waco to another location·View the Texas outdoor lighting overview
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