York County, VA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Beyond requiring full cut-off fixtures for larger lamps, Sec. 24.1-260 sets a hard illumination ceiling at the edge of a developed site: light spilling onto an abutting non-residential property can't exceed 0.5 footcandles, and light reaching an abutting residential property can't exceed 0.1 footcandles, measured at the perimeter property line. That fivefold gap between the two limits reflects the county's intent to shield homes specifically from glare generated by nearby commercial, industrial, or multi-family lighting. The only way around the cap is specific authorization, either administratively by the zoning administrator or, for a more significant departure, through a special use permit approved by the Board of Supervisors.

The rule works alongside the full cut-off fixture and IESNA design requirements in the same section: a site can meet the fixture-type rule and still need to be dimmed, angled, or repositioned further to hold the property-line reading. Architectural and landscape accent lighting is separately exempt from the fixture rule when aimed to keep light on the intended object, but the zoning administrator can still require such lighting to be turned off between midnight and dawn if it's near homes and could adversely affect them.