Find dark skies
TonightPlacesEventsPlan a TripNightly NewsMoonLawsLearnKids & Research
No statewide law

Quebec

Last checked October 29, 2026

By Peter Benes and Adrienne Kmetz, editors. Updated October 29, 2026.

Quebec has no single provincial outdoor lighting law that we found. The Mont-Megantic reserve (2007, about 5,260 square km, 34 municipalities) runs on local rules: Sherbrooke By-law 1200 and the Haut-Saint-Francois and Granit MRC by-laws (469-18, 2020-11) cap color at 2,200 K for most uses, limit upward light to under 1% (2.5% for low fixtures), and require lights off or dimmed after 10 or 11 p.m.

StatuteCitationYear
Interim control by-law on outdoor lighting (Mont-Megantic reserve)Reglement no 2020-11, MRC du Granit2020
Interim control by-law on outdoor lighting (Mont-Megantic reserve)Reglement no 469-18 (administrative version includes no 522-21), MRC du Haut-Saint-Francois2018
Light pollution control (Chapter 14, Section 4) and signage (Chapter 13)Reglement no 1200, Ville de Sherbrooke

Municipal codes

  • Sherbrooke: By-law 1200: upward light under 1% (2.5% for fixtures below 7 m), 2,200 K general limit with 3,000 K for commercial displays and 4,000 K for gas pumps, and lights off or dimmed by at least 50% after 11 p.m. or 30 minutes after closing.
  • MRC du Haut-Saint-Francois: By-law 469-18 (amended by 522-21): two zones by distance from Mont-Megantic. Lights, including signs, go off after 10 p.m. or outside operating hours; upward light is limited to under 1% (2.5% below 3.5 m in zone 1, 5 m in zone 2).
  • MRC du Granit: By-law 2020-11: same structure as Haut-Saint-Francois, with two zones, a 2,200 K general limit (3,000 K for sources under 1,000 lumens), and lights off after 10 p.m. Covers Lac-Megantic and surrounding municipalities.

Certified dark sky places in Quebec

Bringing your own outdoor lighting up to the same standard? See Dark-Sky Friendly Outdoor Lighting.

Sources