Dark Sky Laws by Jurisdiction
Outdoor lighting law varies widely by state and province: some states have a single statewide dark-sky lighting statute, others regulate only through city or county codes, and Canadian provinces mostly rely on municipal bylaws rather than provincial law. This page tracks the status for all 50 US states and the Canadian provinces and territories, with the underlying statute or code linked wherever one exists, following the same "no unlinked facts" standard used across the site (background on why light pollution is regulated at all is on /learn). If you are a homeowner rather than a policymaker, Dark-Sky Friendly Outdoor Lighting is the practical guide.
Statewide law / provincial policyLocal rules onlyNo statewide law / not yet published
| Jurisdiction | Country | Status | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Alaska | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Arizona | United States | Statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Arkansas | United States | Statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| California | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Colorado | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Connecticut | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Delaware | United States | Statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Florida | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Georgia | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Hawaii | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Idaho | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Illinois | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Indiana | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Iowa | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Kansas | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Kentucky | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Louisiana | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Maine | United States | Statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Maryland | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Massachusetts | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Michigan | United States | Statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Minnesota | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Mississippi | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Missouri | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Montana | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Nebraska | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Nevada | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| New Hampshire | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| New Jersey | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| New Mexico | United States | Statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| New York | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| North Carolina | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| North Dakota | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Ohio | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Oklahoma | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Oregon | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Pennsylvania | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Rhode Island | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| South Carolina | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| South Dakota | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Tennessee | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Texas | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Utah | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Vermont | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Virginia | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Washington | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| West Virginia | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Wisconsin | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Wyoming | United States | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| District of Columbia | United States | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Alberta | Canada | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| British Columbia | Canada | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Manitoba | Canada | Provincial policy | 2026-09-23 |
| New Brunswick | Canada | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Canada | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Nova Scotia | Canada | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Northwest Territories | Canada | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Nunavut | Canada | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Ontario | Canada | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Prince Edward Island | Canada | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Quebec | Canada | Local rules only | 2026-09-23 |
| Saskatchewan | Canada | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |
| Yukon | Canada | No statewide law | 2026-09-23 |