Walker County, GA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)
Key Facts
- Floodlight aim requirement
- 60 degrees down from vertical minimum
- Near-ROW floodlights (within 50 ft)
- Must be shielded from off-property view
- Security lighting standard
- Full cutoff, not visible beyond lot line
- Residential Corridor rule
- No bulb/lens sightline from neighbor (§22-637(e)(3))
- Applies to
- Corridor Overlay District development
Summary
Walker County Code § 22-521(e)-(f) requires Chickamauga Battlefield Corridor Overlay District lighting layouts to minimize light trespass onto neighboring properties, forcing floodlights to aim at least 60 degrees down from vertical or be shielded so no lamp or lens is visible from off the property.
(e)Select lighting layouts and fixtures that minimize glare, light trespass, shadows, excessive light levels, skyglow and inaccurate color rendition. ... (f)To minimize glare, and light trespass onto neighbors' properties or public rights-of-way:(1)For flood lights and flood lamps, aim fixtures down at least 60 degrees from vertical. For fixtures installed less than 60 degrees down from vertical, use shields, cut-offs, visors, reflectors, louvers, or other devices such that no portion of the light bulb or lens extends below the bottom edge of the external shield. Where flood lights and display lights are installed within 50 feet of a public street right-of-way, aim fixtures and install shields, louvers and/or other devices to prevent any lamp or lens from being visible from off the property.
Full Breakdown
Section 22-521's exterior lighting standard for the Corridor Overlay District's commercial design guidelines states its purpose is to select lighting layouts and fixtures that minimize glare, light trespass, shadows, excessive light levels, skyglow, and inaccurate color rendition, in order to protect neighbors' property values and maintain the county's rural character (subsection (e)). Subsection (f) then sets concrete techniques to minimize glare and light trespass onto neighbors' properties or public rights-of-way: floodlights and flood lamps must be aimed down at least 60 degrees from vertical, or, for fixtures installed at a shallower angle, fitted with shields, cutoffs, visors, reflectors, or louvers so no part of the bulb or lens extends below the shield's bottom edge; floodlights within 50 feet of a public street right-of-way must be aimed and shielded so no lamp or lens is visible from off the property (f)(1).
Wall-mounted and pole-mounted security lighting must use full cutoff or fully shielded fixtures so the light source is not directly visible beyond the property line (f)(2). Residential conservation subdivisions in the Corridor carry a parallel, separate protection under Sec. 22-637(e)(3): no line of sight of a bulb or lens is permitted from an adjacent property or from house lots within the subdivision. Compliance is reviewed by the Design Review Board and Planning Commission before a permit issues.
Violations & Fines
A lighting plan that does not demonstrate the required floodlight aiming or shielding can be denied or conditioned at Design Review Board and Planning Commission review. Fixtures installed and visible or glaring onto a neighboring property are a Code violation under the general penalty in § 1-13: up to a $1,000 fine or six months, with each day of continued trespassing light a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What angle must Corridor floodlights be aimed?
Does the light trespass rule protect residential neighbors too?
What about floodlights near a public road?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Walker County
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