Wicomico County, MD Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Section 225-73B(2) directly prohibits lighting within any lot that unnecessarily illuminates any other lot and substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of such other lot, and requires that lighting be designed so it does not glare onto surrounding properties. That trespass rule sits inside a broader set of general lighting requirements in § 225-73B: site lighting must be of low intensity from a concealed source and must not spill over into adjoining properties, buffers or roadways, or interfere with the vision of oncoming motorists; flickering or flashing lights are barred outright, and fixtures should be positioned to illuminate only pedestrian walkways and signage rather than adjacent land.

The county's stated purpose for the whole section, in § 225-73A, is regulating the spillover of light and glare affecting motorists, pedestrians and neighboring land uses, distinguishing nuisance glare from the safety concerns tied to vehicle traffic; public streetlighting is expressly excluded from the section's reach. Anyone proposing a site or development plan must submit an exterior lighting plan under § 225-73C showing how the design avoids trespass onto neighboring lots before the Department of Planning, Zoning and Community Development can approve it. The rule applies countywide in the unincorporated area regardless of zoning district, unlike the district-specific fixture-height caps in § 225-73D, which only set maximum pole heights for freestanding lighting in the C-1, C-2 and LB-2 districts.