No statewide law
Ohio
Last checked October 29, 2026
Ohio has no statewide outdoor lighting or dark-sky statute that we could find, so rules come from local zoning. Moreland Hills requires fully shielded cut-off fixtures and an 11 p.m. shutoff for most private lighting. Gambier covers lighting of 750 lumens or more and caps trespass at one-tenth footcandle. Green sets 12 and 20 foot height limits.
Municipal codes
- Moreland Hills (opens in new tab): Section 1171.09 requires fully shielded cut-off fixtures for security, walkway, and parking lighting, zero footcandles at a neighboring residential line, and most private lights off from 11 p.m. to sunrise (sports courts earlier on weeknights).
- Gambier (opens in new tab): Section 155.204 applies to outdoor lighting of 750 lumens or more, requires parking and walkway lights aimed straight down, shielded floods, light trespass under one-tenth footcandle, and a 20 foot mounting limit.
- Green (opens in new tab): Section 157.140 aims to reduce light pollution: nonresidential lighting must be shielded from adjacent homes, noncutoff lights are capped at 12 feet and cutoff lights at 20 feet, and photometric plans are required in most districts.
Certified dark sky places in Ohio
Bringing your own outdoor lighting up to the same standard? See Dark-Sky Friendly Outdoor Lighting.