Local rules only

Texas

Last checked 2026-09-23

Texas requires new or replacement lighting fixtures on state-funded facilities to be cutoff-shielded in most cases (Health & Safety Code Ch. 425), and Local Government Code 240.031 lets certain counties regulate outdoor lighting near military bases and observatories, though a 2021 law narrowed which cities can otherwise regulate lighting to Dark Sky Communities and areas near observatories or bases. There is no statewide sea-turtle-specific lighting statute; turtle-season lighting limits are set by coastal cities.

StatuteCitationYear
Regulation of Certain Outdoor Lighting (state-funded facilities)Tex. Health & Safety Code Chapter 425
County outdoor lighting regulation near military bases/observatoriesTex. Local Government Code Section 240.0312021

Municipal codes

  • South Padre Island: Beachfront construction rules tied to the city's dune-protection permitting restrict visible artificial lighting facing the beach during sea-turtle nesting season.