No statewide law
Georgia
Last checked October 29, 2026
Georgia has no statewide outdoor lighting or sea turtle lighting statute. Georgia DNR only urges beachfront owners to reduce beach lighting during nesting season (late May to mid-August). Rules are local: Glynn County's lighting code dates to 1984 and is under revision, and Jekyll Island has had an updated sea turtle lighting ordinance since 2008.
Municipal codes
- Tybee Island, GA (opens in new tab): Coastal city with sea turtle nesting protections that limit beachfront lighting during nesting season.
- Jekyll Island, GA (opens in new tab): The state-owned island has had an updated sea turtle lighting ordinance since 2008. The Jekyll Island Authority has weighed changes that Georgia DNR staff warned could add light on nesting beaches.
- Glynn County, GA (opens in new tab): The county's lighting code dates to 1984 and has not been updated since; a 2026 zoning rewrite draft was criticized for not adding a wavelength standard for sea turtle protection.
Certified dark sky places in Georgia
Bringing your own outdoor lighting up to the same standard? See Dark-Sky Friendly Outdoor Lighting.
Sources
- https://gadnr.org/sea-turtles (opens in new tab)
- https://thecurrentga.org/2026/03/02/glynn-countys-new-zoning-draft-fails-to-update-light-protections-for-sea-turtles/ (opens in new tab)
- https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/controversy-clouds-jekyll-lighting-ordinance-changes/article_6f8343f8-5ef0-5339-8555-3d042664a5cf.html (opens in new tab)
- https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/sea-turtle-nesting-season-could-surge-on-tybee-how-you-can-help/ (opens in new tab)
- https://idadb.cals.arizona.edu/statutory (opens in new tab)