Outdoor Lighting in Ohio (2026)
24 rules on the books across Ohio, 12 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Dark Sky Rules
Ordinances designed to reduce light pollution, including requirements for shielded fixtures, limits on brightness, and curfews for decorative lighting.
Akron
Some RestrictionsAkron's Form-Based Zoning Code caps outdoor light spillage at the right-of-way to an average of 2.5 footcandles and…
Read full rule →Columbus
Some RestrictionsColumbus requires commercial, institutional, and manufacturing site lighting to use fully shielded, recessed fixtures…
Read full rule →Dayton
Some RestrictionsDayton's zoning code requires new outdoor lighting citywide to be full cut-off, shielded so all light projects below a…
Read full rule →Franklin County
Some RestrictionsAny exterior light fixture taller than 18 feet in Franklin County's Smart Growth Overlay must be fully shielded, with…
Read full rule →Hamilton County
Some RestrictionsHamilton County has no countywide dark-sky lighting code. Shielding, fixture, and glare standards for outdoor lighting…
Read full rule →Medina
Some RestrictionsMedina requires every exterior light fixture serving a parking or circulation area to be a cut-off type that blocks…
Read full rule →Stark County
Some RestrictionsCanton's outdoor illumination code (Chapter 1185) requires exterior lighting to minimize sky illumination. Under…
Read full rule →Summit County
Some RestrictionsSec. 1106.08(a) of Summit County's Subdivision Regulations requires every external light fixture, pole, wall-mounted…
Read full rule →Parma
Light RestrictionsParma's Industrial District performance standards require every spotlight or floodlight aimed at a building or the…
Read full rule →Light Trespass & Shielding
Rules preventing outdoor lights from shining onto neighboring homes, shielding and full-cutoff fixture requirements, aiming standards, and footcandle caps at the property line.
Cincinnati
Some RestrictionsEvery exterior light on private property in Cincinnati, canopy, perimeter, or floodlight, must be shielded or recessed…
Read full rule →Cleveland
Some RestrictionsIn Cleveland's Midtown Mixed-Use District, site lighting for buildings, signs and streets must be arranged to control…
Read full rule →Columbus
Some RestrictionsColumbus requires commercial, institutional, and manufacturing site lighting to use fully shielded, recessed fixtures…
Read full rule →Dayton
Some RestrictionsDayton's zoning code requires outdoor lighting, including security lighting, to be full cut-off/shielded, caps light…
Read full rule →Franklin County
Some RestrictionsFranklin County's Smart Growth Overlay requires exterior lighting to be designed, located and maintained so light and…
Read full rule →Medina
Some RestrictionsMedina caps exterior lighting spillover at one horizontal footcandle measured at any side or rear property line next to…
Read full rule →Parma
Some RestrictionsIn Parma's Mixed Use Districts B and C, site lighting must produce zero foot-candles at every lot line, and developers…
Read full rule →Stark County
Some RestrictionsUnder Canton Codified Ordinance 1185.02, exterior lighting systems must be designed, installed, and maintained to…
Read full rule →Summit County
Some RestrictionsSec. 1106.08(a)(2) of the Subdivision Regulations requires every light fixture chosen for a Summit County subdivision…
Read full rule →Toledo
Some RestrictionsToledo's Monroe Street Corridor Urban Neighborhood Overlay District flatly bars light spillage or glare onto adjoining…
Read full rule →Akron
Light RestrictionsAkron's Zoning Code does not set a footcandle or fixture-shielding limit for residential lighting; instead Section…
Read full rule →Billboard Lighting
Lighting standards for outdoor advertising, luminance limits, dwell time, sky-glow mitigation, and curfew hours after which billboards must dim or shut off.
Cincinnati
Some RestrictionsCincinnati caps illuminated billboard glare under Municipal Code § 895-9: lighting on an outdoor advertising sign must…
Read full rule →Columbus
Some RestrictionsColumbus limits billboard illumination near homes and institutions to 6 a.m.-11 p.m., allows 24-hour lighting farther…
Read full rule →Dayton
Some RestrictionsDayton's zoning code requires billboards, signs and displays to use full cut-off outdoor lighting fixtures, with a…
Read full rule →Parma
Some RestrictionsIlluminated billboards and electronic message centers in Parma must run automatic dimming keyed to ambient light and…
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