Outdoor lighting in Windsor: the local rules

Each rule below links to the section of the Windsor Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Windsor's code says

Windsor code What Windsor's code adds
When lights must be off	Off by 11:00 p.m. or once no one is outside, whichever is later; on 1 hour before sunset at earliest. Applies: Lights installed after the Zoning Code took effect; motion-sensor lights and entrance, passageway, parking and driveway lights are excepted. § 17.32.050 · code text Light fixtures installed after the effective date of this Code shall be turned off no later than 11:00 p.m. or when people are no longer present in exterior areas, whichever is later
Brightness or color limit	Color temperature may not exceed 3,000 Kelvin. Applies: Any outdoor light. § 17.32.050 · code text The correlated color temperature of any outdoor light fixture shall not exceed three thousand (3,000) Kelvin. At most 850 lumens. Applies: Each light fixture. § 17.32.050 · code text Each light fixture shall be limited to a maximum brightness of eight hundred fifty (850) lumens.
Fixture height	At most 20 feet above finished grade or the height of the nearest building on the parcel, whichever is less. § 17.32.050 · code text Outdoor light fixtures shall be limited to a maximum height of twenty (20) feet above finished grade or the height of the nearest structure on the parcel, whichever is less.
Light at the property line	Light spilling onto homes may not exceed 0.3 foot-candles. Applies: Residential uses and properties. § 17.32.050 · code text The maximum light trespass onto residential uses and properties shall not exceed 0.3 foot-candles.
Shielding	Lights must be fully shielded, diffused and aimed down, away from neighbors and public rights-of-way, with house-side reflectors. § 17.32.050 · code text To minimize sky glow, glare, and light trespass onto adjacent properties, light fixtures shall be indirect or diffused and directed downward, away from adjacent properties and public rights-of-way, and

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Frequently asked questions

What are the outdoor lighting rules for homes in Windsor?

Windsor's code: Lights must be fully shielded, diffused and aimed down, away from neighbors and public rights-of-way, with house-side reflectors. (§ 17.32.050); Light spilling onto homes may not exceed 0.3 foot-candles. (Residential uses and properties.) (§ 17.32.050).

Outdoor lighting in Windsor

What Windsor's code says

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