Cook County Code Ch. 38 environmental nuisance provisions and Ch. 102 zoning lighting standards require security and floodlights in unincorporated areas to be fully shielded full-cutoff fixtures aimed downward, with light trespass capped at the property line and color temperatures preferably under 3000 Kelvin.
Cook County zoning lighting standards in Ch. 102, paired with Ch. 38 nuisance language, require new security lighting on commercial and multifamily properties to use full-cutoff fixtures emitting no light above the horizontal plane. Pole-mounted floodlights must be aimed downward and shielded so the bulb is not visible from beyond the property line. Light trespass onto adjacent residential parcels is generally capped at 0.1 foot-candles measured five feet inside the receiving property. The county encourages warm color temperatures at or below 3000 Kelvin. Single-family residential security lights are typically exempt from permits but remain subject to nuisance complaints if they trespass.
Installing unshielded floodlights, aiming security lights horizontally, or causing measurable light trespass onto neighboring residential properties violates Cook Ch. 38 nuisance and Ch. 102 zoning. Code enforcement issues correction notices; uncorrected violations escalate to administrative hearings and daily fines.
See how Evanston's security light shielding rules stack up against other locations.
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