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• United States of America
• Europe

Note: The links on this page are connected to files provided by each municipality.  If the links appear to be broken, the municipality may have adopted new legislation and inactivated their file.  Please notify webmaster@darksky.org.

The Model Lighting Ordinance is now available for public review, to view the MLO and submit a comment, click here>>     

It is important to note that most statutes handle light pollution differently.  The following is a series of acts currently enforceable to the fullest extent of the written law.

Another source for research on codes in your area is Justia.com, a company that provides free codes and regulations databases with easy search capabilities.  Or you may visit Cliff Haas' LiteLynx site, which also has a comprehensive list of light pollution ordinances.

• AZ House Bill Title 49 (See Chapter 7)

• The Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act Title 8, Chapter 14, Shielded Outdoor Lighting Act

• California Energy Commission (CEC) Title 24: Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings
  • Outdoor Lighting Zones - 2005 Building Energy Efficiency Standards
  • CEC 2005 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, Section 132-Outdoor Lighting Controls and Equipment (pg 75) (PDF)
  • CEC 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, Section 132-Outdoor Lighting Controls and Equipment (pg 116) (Marked Version, NOT FINAL - will publish by August 1, 2009) (PDF)

• Public Act 01-134: An Act Requiring Energy Efficient Roadway Lights
• Public Act 06-86: An Act Concerning Luminaires at State Agencies
• Substitute House Bill No. 5686 - Public Act No. 03-210 (Reduction of Hazardous Road Glare and Light Pollution from Private Area Floodlighting)

• Title 7: Conservation & Natural Resources, Chapter 71A. Regulation of Outdoor Lighting

• STATE OF HAWAII H.B. NO 1743

• 5 M.R.S. § 1769. Outdoor lighting

• Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Excerpt) 324.75101

Minnesota

• 16B.328 Outdoor Lighting Fixtures Model Ordinance (2008) (Statute)
• Chapter 296 --S.F. No. 3337 An act relating to utilities;providing for standards for state-funded outdoor lighting fixtures. (2008) (Law)

Montana

• Montana Code, Title 23: Parks, Recreation, Sports, and Gambling; Chapter 1: Parks; State Parks; Good neighbor policy -- public recreational lands

• Night Sky Protection Act (1999)
• Mandatory Night Sky Act Enforcement (HB 362) - view the history (2009)

Watch video from KOB TV New Mexico (2:09): "Fines Aim to Clean Light Pollution from Night Sky"

• CHAPTER 420 2002-S 2399A Enacted 28 JUL 2002. An Act Relating to State Affaris and Government - Outdoor Lighting Control
  • Bill H7990 - NIGHT OUTDOOR PUBLIC LIGHTING - Introduced: 07 MAR 2000 - IDA Read Copy

• Texas Statutes Health & Safety Code, Chapter 425: Regulation of Certain Outdoor Lighting

• Vermont Statutes, Title 10, Chapter 24: Outdoor Lighting

• Virginia Public Procurement Act 2.2 Administration of Government, Section 1111 Department of General Services: purchase of light fixtures.

• Town of Perry, Dane County, Wisconsin: Dark Sky Lighting Ordinance

• SF0048 - Outdoor lighting tariffs as Enrolled- signed 17 FEB 2003
• 2003 General Session 57th Legislature Senate Files Index

European Lighting Regulations

• Protection of the Atmosphere Act, June 2002 (note: this act is a declaration only and does not contain enforcement principals)  An English translation, by IDA Czech Republic, of the Act is available here >>
  • Space.com article: Czech Republic Enacts World's First National Light Pollution Law

• Visual Lombardy Law no. 17/2000 (note: this translation is from the CieloBuilo Web site and not the Italian government)
• Veneto Region Light Pollution Law (passed 08/2009) (in Italian)

• Sporočilo za javnost o sklepih, ki jih je Vlada RS sprejela na 133. seji, 30. avgusta 2007 (in Slovene)
  • An English translation of the press release and technical summary are available through the Dark Sky Slovenia site here>>

• Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 under the Office of Public Sector Information, Part 9: Miscellaneous; Section 102: Statutory nuisance: lighting
  • Also visit the British Astronomical Association's Campaign for Dark Skies
  • Read De Montfort University's School of Law Professor Martin Morgan-Taylor's paper on "Light Pollution and Nuisance: the Enforcement Guidance for Light as a Statutory Nuisance"

• Guidance Note: Controlling Light Pollution and Reducing Lighting Energy Consumption (note: this document does not hold legal status, however, it is a publication for "A Partnership for a Better Scotland: Partnership Agreement")

U.S.A. Municipal Lighting Regulations 

Due to the large success of increasing municipal lighting ordinances we have been unable to successfully compile a list of live links to all of the most recent ordinances.  We encourage you to visit Cliff Haas' LiteLynx, conduct a search on Justia.com, or contact you local municipality for information.