Norfolk County does not handle light trespass complaints. Each town's code enforcement, with common-law nuisance backstop, addresses light trespass. Residential limits typically 0.5-1.0 foot-candles at property line.
Light trespass enforcement in Norfolk County is municipal. Where local bylaws exist (Brookline, Dover, Sherborn, Medfield), property line limits typically cap illumination at 0.5-1.0 foot-candles on residential property and 2-5 foot-candles on commercial. Security lights must be aimed and shielded to illuminate only the owner's property. Floodlights aimed at neighbors are prohibited under most bylaws and can support a private nuisance claim under Massachusetts common law (Rattigan v. Wile, 2007). String lights and decorative lighting must not create glare. Holiday lighting often has seasonal exemptions. Commercial properties face stricter standards with measured lumen limits at property boundaries. MassDEP 310 CMR 7.10 nuisance authority not used for light.
No county enforcement. Municipal warning and 30-day correction; $100-$300 fines thereafter. Commercial: up to $1,000. Common-law nuisance suit: damages, injunction.
Wellesley, MA
Wellesley allows garage conversions to ADUs under Wellesley Zoning Bylaw §5.13 (as amended April 15, 2025 by Article 40.1) consistent with Section 8 of the M...
Wellesley, MA
Wellesley regulates ADUs under Section 5.13 of the Wellesley Zoning Bylaw. At the April 2025 Annual Town Meeting, Wellesley adopted Article 40.1 to amend its...
Wellesley, MA
Wellesley's Building Department exempts one-story sheds/accessory buildings of 100 square feet or less from a building permit, but they must still comply wit...
See how Wellesley's light trespass rules stack up against other locations.
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